In order to peacefully and stably manage the Senkaku Islands, Japan nationalized the previously privately-owned Senkaku Islands of Uotsuri, Kitakojima, and Minamikojima in a Cabinet decision on September 11, 2012. Chinese incursions into territorial waters have become more frequent since then, doubling over the past decade, and Chinese public vessels are entering the contiguous zones almost daily. With the Coast Guard Law that went into effect on February 1, 2021, it’s expected that the Chinese Coast Guard will be equipped with larger and more arms, but Japan must continue to guard the territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands in a calm and resolute manner without misjudging the seriousness of China's intentions.

Umigyou is once again gaining attention as the development of fishing villages becomes an pressing social issue. Promoting Umigyou was clearly mentioned in the new Basic Plan for Fisheries and the new Long-Term Plan for the Development of Fishing Ports and Grounds formulated in March 2022, as well as in the Basic Policy on Economic and Fiscal Management and Reform 2022 (also known as honebuto no hoshin, or “big-boned” policy) which was adopted by the Cabinet in June 2022. The question is, what exactly is Umigyou? This article will explain what it is, its characteristics, and its expected socioeconomic significance.

We have made available to the public educational content targeted mainly towards elementary school students, junior high school students, and teachers which encourages interactive learning on the ocean. This was released on “Umi Shiru”, an ocean status indication system operated by the Hydrographic and Oceanographic Department at the Japan Coast Guard. We hope that students would learn about the ocean with great interest through being able to view grade-and-unit-specific marine information on maps and perform various operations themselves.