Shallow coastal areas have very delicate and complex natural ecosystems that are exemplified no more clearly than in the Ariake Sea, where Japanese Nori (seaweed) production has been damaged by outbreaks of red tide. Furthermore, a variety of phenomenon exist linking coastal areas closely to the geography and geology of landforms. Progression is being made in the research of coastal erosion, deep-sea areas, oil spills and other coastal issues, but we must learn more about the ocean to further advance environmental conservation and development.
Selected Papers No.2(p.4)

Setana, a small town on the Japan Sea coast of Hokkaido, earned a place in history when Japan's first licensed woman doctor opened a clinic here, and again when it was nominated as the location for the first "Marine Town Project" by the former Ministry of Transport. Setana is currently moving towards the implementation of this nation's first offshore wind-powered generator. Let me introduce our vision to you, a vision that extends to the practical utilization of the nutrient-rich deep-sea waters.

Whales revive feelings hidden away in my memories. They may well be memories from my life in its own right, as the ocean was a part of me well into my middle ages. However, these primitive feelings, erased by the modern era, are brought back through the ripples created by beached whales.