Japan's annual weather cycle affects agriculture, as well as patterns of settlement in the islands. A. Cold westerly winds from Siberia, in combination with cyclonic airflows from the Pacific, contribute to ample rainfall required for agriculture, but create high rates of erosion. B. The south of the Pacific seaboard is the mostly densely settled area, since topography and climate are better suited for agriculture here, compared with the area near the Sea of Japan. C. The yamase effect has a profound influence on rice production and farming in the northern Japan but does not affect cultivation in southern Japan, where precipitation comes in the form of rain rather than snow. D. The yearly Japanese weather cycle, makes agriculture possible only in summer, as the effects of the Siberian air mass bring about winters that are too cold and snowy for farming. E. Farming methods that result in the stabilization of sediments have decreased landslides and erosion, and allowed for plentiful forests in Japan. F. Weather changes during the last couple thousand years have caused the Japanese to move their settlements toward the northeast, where the climate is more favorable to cultivation.