That which the Kuroshio Current becomes when it separates from the continental rise at about 35° N in the western North Pacific Ocean. It flows eastward from this point as a strong jet which, given the proclivities of such things, evinces a strong instability. This is seen in two regions of north- and south-ward shift called the “First Crest” and the “Second Crest”, centered at approximately 140° E and 152° E, respectively, with a node near 147° E. East of these features the Shatsky Rise produces another region of alternate (but less regular) paths, followed by a passage over the Emperor Seamounts where it breaks up into filaments which partly comprise the North Pacific Current. The Kuroshio Extension is part of the overall wind-driven subtropical gyre circulation cell that exists in the North Pacific Ocean.