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Japan’s engagement in the Arctic and Third Pole regions

As polar regions, from the Arctic to the Hindu Kush "Third Pole," face catastrophic rising temperatures, the Ocean Policy Research Institute of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation seeks to deepen collaborative networks to counteract these trends

By Jackie Enzmann, Chief Editor

April 9, 2025

6 Min. Read

The Arctic region – an area at the northernmost point of the earth made up of vast oceans, glaciers, and the territory of eight countries that stretch above the Arctic Circle – is warming at an alarming rate. With temperatures in the Arctic estimated to be rising nearly four times faster than the rest of the planet, rapidly melting ice is leading to sea level rise, biodiversity loss, and other environmental consequences with impacts felt around the world.

In the face of this urgent threat, the Ocean Policy Research Institute (OPRI) of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF) has been active in international gatherings seeking to bring together the global community to deepen collaborative ties. One such event is the annual Arctic Circle Assembly, which has been held in Reykjavic, Iceland since 2013, and brings together experts, policymakers, business, and other stakeholders to focus on the future of the Arctic. For the most recent Assembly, held in October 2024, OPRI arranged two sessions: “Achievements of Japan’s Arctic Cooperation” and “Arctic to Third Pole: Unified Strategies for Global Sustainability,” while also participating in meetings on the sidelines of the event with partners from around the world.

Japan and the Arctic

While not an Arctic nation itself, Japan has been an active participant in collaborative research efforts as well as in multilateral organizations focusing on the region, including as an observer for the Arctic Council since 2013. “As climate change continues to alter the Arctic landscape, international cooperation became even more essential. Japan's effort in promoting scientific research and supporting international governance framework highlights Japan's proactive stance on Arctic issues,” explained OPRI Research Fellow Sakiko Hataya during the OPRI-led Arctic Circle Assembly session entitled “Achievements of Japan’s Arctic Cooperation.” She presented alongside SPF Senior Fellow Hiroyuki Enomoto and SPF Senior Fellow Natsuhiko Otsuka, among other distinguished participants.

OPRI Research Fellow Sakiko Hataya

Japan's Arctic engagement has also grown in prominence in government policy. In 2018, Japan's Arctic policy was included as a central aspet of the Japanese government's Third Basic Plan on Ocean Policy. “This was a significant milestone, as it was the first time that plan explicitly included Arctic policy as one of its main measures, thus making the policy legally binding. This highlights the increasing importance of the Arctic in Japan's Arctic policy, and in the plan,” said Ms. Hataya.

In addition, the changing Arctic landscape has also opened up opportunities for countries, including Japan, to transit the previously ice-locked Northern Sea Route, providing a more direct shipping route between Asia and Europe. Natsuhiko Otsuka, SPF Senior Fellow and professor at Hokkaido University’s Arctic Research Center, outlined the status of the Northern Shipping Route, noting that while some shipments have begun, most companies are in the information gathering stage.

Natsuhiko Otsuka, SPF Senior Fellow and professor at Hokkaido University’s Arctic Research Center

“The research sector still has a motivation to develop and solve issues regarding the Arctic shipping, mainly the safety, efficiency, sustainability and predictability,” explained Dr. Otsuka. “If we have much more techniques or knowledge about [these aspects], then we can examine more precise commercial possibilities, more precise business models, and we can assess the details of the impact on the Arctic Ocean conditions.”

Hiroyuki Enomoto, SPF Senior Fellow and Vice Director General at the National Institute of Polar Research in Japan

Hiroyuki Enomoto, SPF Senior Fellow and Vice Director General at the National Institute of Polar Research in Japan, also underscored the need to focus on information gathering regarding Arctic shipping, which requires precise prediction and observation capabilities.

While direct visits to the Northern Sea Route are currently difficult due to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, he noted that computer modeling and data analysis are important to gather information that can be used for future shipping routes.

Critical role of the “Third Pole”

Beyond the Arctic and Antarctic regions, a growing area of interest is the Hindu Kush region, also called the “Third Pole.” Spanning from Afghanistan to Myanmar, this region contains the highest mountains in the world as well as approximately 600 billion tons of ice, the largest volume outside of the polar regions.

While melting ice is a shared issue among all polar regions, the Third Pole, unlike the Arctic and Antarctic, is populated. As a result, changes to the snow and water sources have a direct impact on about 1.9 billion people, or one fifth of the global population. “The livelihood of these people is dependent on this water flow, so it is a huge magnitude of problem faced by humanity due to climate change in these polar regions,” explained OPRI Research Fellow Rauniyar Santosh Kumar, who is currently working on the Third Pole projects in the foundation.

OPRI Research Fellow Rauniyar Santosh Kumar

Further adding urgency to the issue is the accelerated rate of melting in this mountainous area. Due to altitude and other factors, melting in the Third Pole region is progressing four times faster than melting in the Arctic, with some experts estimating that up to 2/3 of the glaciers may melt by 2100, creating a crisis on an expedited timeline

To contend with this pressing issue, OPRI has been conducting projects focusing on the Third Pole, including empirical data collection of hydrological data, community-based surveys on the challenges facing people in the region, and policy and governance networking with the goal of bringing together stakeholders and policymakers. These efforts include plans to organize a Polar Dialogue in 2025 to foster dialogue and share lessons among the polar regions.

“The Ocean Policy Research Institute supports initiating these polar dialogues in the Third Pole region where we can bring experts, scientists, policymakers, governments, as well as people from the Arctic region and Third Pole region to foster dialogue to make a structure and framework of a Third Pole governance system, which is very essential,” said Dr. Rauniyar.

The themes related to the Third Pole were explored at the second OPRI session at the 2024 Arctic Circle Assembly, “Arctic to Third Pole: Unified Strategies for Global Sustainability,” featuring remarks by Dr. Rauniyar; OPRI Research Fellow Mengyao Zhu, who presented on her research focusing on looking at the marine ecosystems in the Bay of Bengal, the world’s largest bay that connects the Himalayan Mountains with the Indian Ocean; and Jefferson Cardia Simoes, Professor of Glaciology at the Polar and Climate Centre, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul – UFRGS in Brazil, who presented on the conditions in the Andean mountain region.

The OPRI session "Arctic to Third Pole: Unified Strategies for Global Sustainability"

The event also included an expert panel discussion featuring SPF Special Advisor Hide Sakaguchi and Kamrul Hossain, Research Professor and Director of the Northern Institute for Environmental and Minority Law (NIEM) at the Arctic Centre of the University of Lapland in Finland. The panelists in their remarks underscored the importance of sharing information to inform greater intervention as well as the urgent need for collaboration moving forward to contend with this pressing global issue.

Ocean Policy Research Inst (Division of Ocean Vision and Action)