The inland sea pilotage district, encompassing the Seto Inland Sea, is Japan's largest pilotage district. The piloting in this area is characterized by island studded scenic views and a history full of adventures, but like many other maritime industries it faces the problem of a lack of successors. Here, I would like to consider the way forward for piloting, through its current state and efforts conducted in the inland sea region.

In recent years, the Eco-DRR approach, which focuses on ecosystems in disaster prevention and mitigation, as well as the green infrastructure initiative, have been gathering attention around the world. Such efforts have been actively applied especially in coastal regions. Here I will introduce recent international trends on Eco-DRR, and propose the promotion of such efforts in Japan.

Niigata Prefectural Kaiyo High School has taken efforts to address issues in the local community through its "Project on community development through applying the strengths of high school students to local industries." In addition, the school has worked with professionals from industries and universities through the Ministry of Education's Specialized Training College program on community industry human resource development, with the goal of developing talent. The school is making efforts in Cooperative Education, with its emphasis on "operational education," as well as education based on coordination between industry, academia and government.