The Basic Act and Basic Plan on Ocean Policy come up for their 5-year review this fiscal year, as stipulated in the Basic Act on Ocean Policy. As we are now entering a new era of ocean related conflicts, I would hope for the rebuilding of a stable, non-partisan political infrastructure and the strengthening of strategic initiatives guided by political leadership, in the best sense, to address such a fundamental aspect of national strategy.

In April of this year, Japan received a recommendation regarding the extension of its continental shelf from the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf. How will Japan's continental shelf be expanded and what will become of its ocean policy? In this article, I will report on Japan's continental shelf extension and its significance from the perspective of one who has been involved in the extension application process since 2001.

Marine Day or Umi no Hi which falls on the third Monday of July ※1 - July 16th this year - commemorates the day in 1876 (July 20th) when the Meiji Maru arrived in Yokohama port after a journey from Aomori via Hakodate as the Imperial Yacht carrying the Meiji emperor who was returning from his visit to the Ou district of Tohoku. As Umi no Hi 2012 approaches, the Meiji Maru is in poor condition, closed normally to the public, and the campaign to raise 600 million yen by this March for its renovation raised just half the target amount by the deadline. Against this background, it is surely time to promote a wider discussion about this ship, its unique position as a historic ship and how its future might be made more secure.