Current path records of the Kuroshio off southern Japan have been examined for the period 1960–1977. Together with previously published results (S.Yoshida, 1961;Shoji, 1972) this evidence indicates that all major changes in the path of the Kuroshio off Cape Shiono were preceded by the formation of a small “trigger” meander off Kyushu and its downstream propagation to Cape Shiono. The periods of occurrence of these “trigger” meanders, most of which decay without propagating downstream, are documented. Small meanders off Kyushu occur throughout the year, but all of those which triggered changes off Cape Shiono were initially generated in the period January–April.
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