Under Article 80 of the Self-Defense Forces Law, the Japan Coast Guard may be placed under the control of the Minister of Defense. According to Article 25 of the Japan Coast Guard Law, the Japan Coast Guard is a police organ, or a law enforcement organ, and so there are restrictions on its use of weapons under domestic law. However, are there means for the Japan Coast Guard, as a non-military organ, to ensure its safety under international law in relation to foreign countries, especially hostile countries, while under the control of the Minister of Defense in the event of an armed attack against Japan, by avoiding of being a military objective?

Japan’s traditional tortoise shell crafts have long relied on the importation of Hawksbill Sea Turtle shells for their raw materials, but due to the present restrictions of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) the industry has lost its source of raw materials. In order to pass on these traditional crafts to the next generation, all those in the industry are now combining their efforts in a hawksbill sea turtle farming project. As a symbol of Japan’s harmony with the ocean since ancient times, we intend to pass on the art of tortoise shell crafting to future generations.

"Fish Elementary School" is an online educational program for elementary school students and their parents provided by the Japan Sustainable Seafood Association. Each month, we offer easy-to-understand classes based on a single seafood theme using real fish, displays or models, and learn about ecology, fisheries, food culture, environmental issues, etc. While ocean education in the school system is limited, our aim is to promote sustainable use of ocean resources by increasing ocean literacy through Fish Elementary School.