On December 25, 2024, the Ocean Policy Research Institute of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (OPRI/SPF), in collaboration with the First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, China (FIO), and the China Institute for Marine Affairs, Ministry of Natural Resources, China (CIMA), hosted the Japan-China Marine Science Cooperation Workshop in Tokyo.
 
In June 2024, the project "Typhoon Forecast and Response in Northwest Pacific (TFRiN)," jointly proposed by FIO, CIMA, OPRI/SPF, and the Shanghai Typhoon Institute, was approved as an action project under the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development by UNESCO/IOC.
 
The Northwest Pacific is the region with the highest frequency of typhoons in the world. Responding to typhoon-related disasters is a common challenge faced by coastal countries, including Japan and China. Accurate typhoon forecasting remains a cutting-edge issue in the field of Earth sciences, while policy research on measures to address marine disasters caused by typhoons continues to be a crucial area of study for both nations. Furthermore, promoting Japan-China collaboration in joint research on disaster response through marine science cooperation is believed to contribute to the establishment of cooperative mechanisms among coastal nations in the Northwest Pacific.
 
Based on these objectives, the workshop aimed to discuss future activity plans related to the TFRiN action project, explore approaches to Japan-China cooperation, and identify potential challenges. Researchers specializing in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences from both countries participated in the workshop.

In their opening remarks, Dr. Atsushi Sunami, President of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, Dr. Haiwen Zhang, Research Fellow and former Director of the China Institute for Marine Affairs, and Dr. Zexun Wei, Deputy Director General of the First Institute of Oceanography, introduced the projects undertaken by their respective institutions and highlighted the importance of collaboration between Japan and China during the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2023).
 
The following presentations were delivered during the workshop:

• Shizhu Wang (Associate Research Fellow, FIO): The Ocean Decade in China
• Zexun Wei (Deputy Director General, FIO): Overview of the TFRiN Project: Typhoon Forecast and Response in the Northwest Pacific
• Tengfei Xu (Associate Research Fellow, FIO): China-Japan Collaboration Research on Typhoon Forecast and Response in the Northwest Pacific under the Changing Climate
• Kotaro Tanaka (Research Fellow, OPRI/SPF): The Ocean Decade in Japan
• Yuta Komori (Special Projects Manager, Management Planning Department, SPF): Crisis and Risk Management System in Japan
• Mengyao Zhu (Research Fellow, OPRI/SPF) and Xiang Gao (Senior Research Fellow, OPRI/SPF): Good Examples of Japan-China Marine Science Cooperation

 
During the subsequent discussion session, Professor Mitsutaku Makino from the Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, joined to share insights. The participants exchanged information and cultivated a shared understanding of the latest trends and future challenges in Japan-China collaboration in the marine field.
 
Based on the discussions at this workshop, OPRI/SPF will continue to utilize various opportunities to contribute to advancing the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.