Iwate University has been supporting reconstruction efforts following the Great East Japan Earthquake. Of particular note are our efforts towards reconstruction of the fisheries industry, as it was the first time the university took on such a challenge. Through cooperating and coordinating with other universities, we established the Sanriku Fisheries Research Center as well as set up the Fisheries Course in the school's Faculty of Agriculture. In the following fiscal year, the university also plans on establishing a graduate-level course on the subject. Through MOFF (Management of Fisheries and Foods), a scheme that takes the fishing industry as a whole into focus and promotes human resource development and joint research by industry, government, and academia, we hope to launch fisheries innovations from the Sanriku region.

In line with government policy, there has been a movement towards the widest possible implementation of renewable energy. At NEDO, we have been promoting research and development to strengthen the industrial competitiveness of offshore wind power. As part of this, we have begun efforts to create a highly accurate offshore wind map that can integrate the data needed to develop offshore wind power. Through conducting detailed simulations, we hope to decrease risks in the development of offshore wind power and speed up its implementation process.

While many residents have enjoyable images such as leisure when thinking of the ocean, for Osaka Bay their image is largely a negative one. In the past, Osaka Bay was known for allowing easy access to the sea and was also a place where residents could come and relax. Here, I'd like to introduce an initiative to promote a "Friendly Osaka Bay": a story-themed event that helps participants to experience the connection between sea and land.