It has been forty years since Professor Kousaka stated that "the ocean is our last great frontier," pointing out not only the importance of the living and mineral resources to be found there but also its role in our national defense. What is necessary now is a national determination to develop this "great frontier." Throughout the rest of my political career, I hope to continue my efforts to develop this great frontier for the future of Japan.

Overseas shipping, a crucial lifeline for our nation's economy, has been subject to intense international competition. The Amendment to the Marine Transportation Law was intended to secure sufficient Japanese vessels to guarantee reliable international maritime transport and to develop and maintain sufficient numbers of Japanese seafarers. In accordance with the Amendment, the Minister for Infrastructure, Land, and Transport is to issue a Basic Policy, representatives of the overseas shipping industry are to compile a "Plan for Ensuring the Provision of Japanese Shipping and Seafarers," and the tonnage tax is be applied to those enterprises recognized by MLIT.

The sandy beaches on which I walked as a child and the waters in which I swam no longer exist. When I return to my hometown I find that the ocean is no longer something familiar to the people there. Although being surrounded by the oceans would seem to make Japan a maritime state, I believe we have unknowingly let its presence drop out of our everyday lives and from our minds. It is when people live among natural surroundings that they come to appreciate what is important for human life. I think it is important to preserve an environment in which even a single other person can experience the ocean in their everyday lives.