Paired Metamorphism of SW Japan and Implications for Tectonics of Convergent Margins

The Sanbagawa-Ryoke pair of geological units in southwest Japan is the classic example of paired metamorphism originally identified by Akiho Miyashiro. Together these belts represent an important study area for developing and testing ideas about how convergent margins behave over geological time based on studies of the rock record including petrology, geochemistry, deformation, and geochronology. The two sides of the pair represent ancient examples of a subduction zone in the Sanbagawa belt and an associated volcanic arc in the Ryoke belt. This issue of Elements brings together the results of a wide range of different approaches summarizing the current state of knowledge about the Sanbagawa-Ryoke pair and how this informs our understanding of convergent margins in general.