The Tsushima Warm Current (TWC) forms a chaotic picture of surface currents in the Sea of Japan. This study, based on satellite-based sea surface topography, was conducted to clarify the complicated figures by identifying the main pathways of the TWC system. We specifically examine four main branches based on the initial position at the entrance region and their downstream trajectories. In regions west of 133°E, the four currents mutually flowed independently, whereas the streamlines became scrambled at eastern longitudes. Our analyses revealed that the three branches of TWC, excluding the Subpolar Front Current, showed a confluence in the regions around the Oki Islands and off the Noto Peninsula. The seasonality of those current pathways is also addressed by this study. In the Yamato Basin, the TWC pathways, particularly offshore branches, were affected strongly by the existence and the location of developed mesoscale eddies, where basin-wide anticyclone during winter and cyclone during summer are frequently observed. In the eastern area of the Sea of Japan, the TWC branches showed notable features of meandering during winter, but it was straightforward during summer, mostly exiting towards the Pacific Ocean through the Tsugaru Strait.

对马暖流（TWC）形成了日本海中地表流的混沌图像。这项基于卫星海面地形的研究旨在通过识别TWC系统的主要路径来澄清复杂的数字。我们根据入口区域的初始位置及其下游轨迹专门检查了四个主要分支。在133°E以西的地区，四股水流相互独立流动，而流线则在东经处变得混乱。我们的分析表明，TWC的三个分支（不包括亚极前沿流）在冲绳群岛周围和诺托半岛附近的地区汇合。这项研究也解决了这些当前途径的季节性问题。在大和盆地，TWC通道，特别是近海分支，它们受到发达的中尺度涡旋的存在和位置的强烈影响，在那里经常观察到冬季全流域反旋风和夏季旋风。在日本海东部地区，TWC分支在冬季表现出明显的蜿蜒曲折，但在夏季却很直截了当，主要通过津轻海峡向太平洋出口。