The Sea of Okhotsk is an epeiric (large and shallow) sea to the northeast of Hokkaido.
In the winter, the temperature drops as lowas -20℃, and it is the only sea in Japan where sea ice iforms.  This sea ice will break intoice floes which and drift along the coast. In harsh winters, the whole sea turns into an ice rink.
The local fishing industry thrives as a result of the exceptional plankton growth here, which provides a rich source of food to fish, such as salmon, trout, herring and saury.
Tons of crude oil and natural gas deposits lie under the continental shelf of Sakhalin island、and much development of undersea oilfields is taking place.
You can command a panoramic view of the town of Monbetsu and the Sea of Okhotsk from the Monbetsu Park Observatory.
With global climate change, the amount of sea ice has been decreasing in recent years. Current global research includes the study of the climate structure of this sea as a global index.