Suruga Bay, a corridor connecting society and the deep sea, is an ideal environment for studying Earth-man-machine interactions of the Anthropocene Epoch. I would like here to introduce the creation of “Suruga Bay Studies” as a comprehensive body of knowledge that makes full use of this environment, the pioneering of the field of deep-sea environmental monitoring, and initiatives that will serve as a focus for societal and international collaborations.

Well ahead of the Japanese government’s policy of realizing a decarbonized society, Nagasaki Prefecture compiled its “Creation of a Center (Cluster) for Ocean Energy Industries Plan (2014),” and has been advancing initiatives with industry, academia, and local government in order to promote renewable ocean energy. Nurturing leaders is an important element in supporting the formation of clusters, and currently, Nagasaki Ocean Academy’s course offerings and the establishment of the Marine Future Science Course at Nagasaki University Graduate School are also contributing to cluster formations from the human development side.

The Sasakawa Peace Foundation registered the Ocean Expo Challenge under the TEAM EXPO 2025 Program for the Osaka-Kansai Expo in 2025, aiming to make it a showcase for “Advertising the Ocean’s Charms” and “Solutions to Ocean Issues.” The author, grateful for the ocean’s blessings and with responsibility as Miss Japan Marine Day for increasing understanding and interest towards ocean industries, explains from the perspective of the SDGs what she learned as Master of Ceremonies for the first seminar in the Ocean Expo Seminar Series: “Towards the Ocean Expo.”