Since the introduction of double hulls as a counter-measure for oil spills by tankers, the IMO has released a succession of strengthening measures for ship safety and marine environmental protection. However, more than a few of these measures were created without sufficient scientific investigation and consideration for actual circumstances of maritime industries. In order to avoid decisions detrimental to Japan's shipping and ship building industries, we must understand not only current trends in IMO deliberations but also the power balance in operation there. In other words, it is important that we make our responses after grasping the dynamics involved in the decision-making process within the IMO.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Oshima Minami High School for Ocean Studies has been reborn as the Tokyo Metropolitan Oshima High School for Ocean and International Studies, affording its students greater opportunities for learning about other cultures and improving their communication skills. Among its notable new programs are its Saipan Language Training Course and the use of the Oshima Maru, an ocean-going ship, for educational activities. These on-board activities are proving useful from a career education perspective, helping students to gain an understanding about different kinds of work and professions and building the character needed to adapt to a rapidly changing society.

Although problems concerning a variety of introduced species are often in the news, the reporting shows little understanding of the differences in how the species arrive in the country and for what purpose. There are essential differences in the problems that arise when species are brought in to be raised and sold as pets and when alien species are let loose into the natural environment to mature and reproduce. The problem of introduced species seems to be an intractable one, but the role the media can play in finding a solution is a large one.