The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) has contributed greatly towards increasing the level of international recognition that Pacific Island States enjoy today. However, the region’s sense of unity is weakening as some countries begin to declare their withdrawal from the PIF and conflicts of interest appear not only between island States, but also within domestic politics. This may very well have a substantial impact on Japan’s diplomacy towards the island States.

Japan has seen rapid progress in the development of offshore wind power in recent years. Japan Wind Power Association members began a task force, which, through cooperation from both the public and private sectors, created the country’s first guidebook on practices concerning financial aspects of supporting large-scale offshore wind power generation projects.

Copepods are zooplankton found throughout the world’s oceans and said to be the animal forming the largest biomass on earth. They sustain mankind as the most important food source for larvae of many fish species. Copepods also play an important role in transporting to the deep sea the large amount of carbon that is fixed on the ocean surface by phytoplankton. Though they don’t stand out, these “little giants of the sea” are extremely valuable to mankind.