A current flowing east from the Japan Sea through the strait between mainland Japan and Hokkaido and on into the Pacific Ocean. This is also known as the Tsugaru Warm Current. The Tsugaru originates in the Tsushima Current, which splits off from the Kuroshio Current and enters the Sea of Japan through Tshushima Strait where it is modified before exiting through the Tsugaru Strait. In summer and autumn, the Tsugaru tends to expand eastward and into a small anticyclonic gyre as it meanders eastward past the northern tip of Honshu, and then turns southward along the Sanriku coast. In winter and spring, it usually turns directly southward along the coast.