In 2011, the author was named Vice-Chairman of the International Oceanographic Commission at its 26th Assembly Session, becoming the first Japanese to hold an executive position in the IOC in 40 years. Japan has a large role to play at the IOC, where discussions are held on a wide variety of international problems related to oceanography, including ocean observation, marine environment and climate related research, tsunami and other marine disaster prevention, and oceanographic data management. With my election to the Vice-Chairmanship, and with the cooperation of others involved, I hope to make a significant contribution to the development of oceanography around the world.