The report by the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ Investigation Review Committee for Underwater Sites, “On Protection of Underwater Sites,” was released on October 31, 2017. Designation of the Takashima Kozaki site as the first National Historic Site found at sea means that Japan is finally beginning to legally perceive the importance of our underwater cultural heritage. There are still many examples of undiscovered underwater cultural heritage in Japanese territory and in the surrounding ocean areas. The positive assessment of these sites by local government authorities and efforts towards their protection and utilization will to some extent contribute to the effective implementation of the Coordinating States’ System provided in Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage in the future.
Selected Papers No.25