Since 2010, there has been a major change in the species of fish being caught in the seas around the Japanese archipelago. Recently, winter cold has come to give way abruptly to summer heat, while people feel that winter is now arriving right on the heels of the late summer heat. This phenomenon is also appearing in irreversible changes in the life histories of the Japanese common squid (Cephalopod), the seasonal traveler that spends its short year of life migrating around the Japanese archipelago.

The Kuroshio current running along Japan's south coast sometimes shifts to a large southward meandering path. As well as being a scientifically very interesting phenomenon, this "meander Ehas a huge social impact in terms of fisheries, maritime transport and marine renewable energy.Recent research has elucidated the mechanism whereby this Kuroshio meander is generated. This mechanism and anticipated future trends in fluctuation will now be examined.
Selected Papers No.18

The creation of a New Island Studies discipline means to view island areas as their own subject rather than, like heretofore, as being on the periphery of something else. Along with changing the aspect from one of subordination to dominance, by carrying out problem solving research and locating islands anew in the context of the greater world we hope to contribute to the stability and development of island society and send our message out from Okinawa to the world.