The National Summit on Ocean Education is a gathering of researchers in ocean education from around the country. The 1st National Summit on Ocean Education was held in February of this year, with presentations being given on the various forms of ocean education being carried out around the country. In order to provide varied and diverse educational practices, there is a need to develop high quality curriculums for children while respecting the uniqueness of different regions and their history and industries.

In order to secure future peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region, we need to deepen the already strong Japan- U.S. Alliance that has been built up over the years and strengthen the Japan- U.S. partnership on the ocean. This article introduces the research conditions and recent topics at the China Maritime Studies Institute, which is at the core of the U.S. Navy's soft sea power as it rebalances towards Asia.

In the immediate aftermath of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in 1995, there was a rush to carry out surveys of water routes in the Port of Kobe to deliver relief supplies. The hydrographic survey instrument that played an important role in these surveys was the first multibeam echo-sounder in domestic firms and had literally just been introduced. Twenty years have passed since then and the multibeam echo-sounder has now become an indispensable instrument not only for surveying the sea floor but for the inspection of wharfs and marine structures, and measurement of dams and rivers.