In the current conflict involving Iran, it has completely disregarded international law; much of the prevailing discourse suggests that Iran—like Russia and Israel—has rendered international law meaningless. However, a detailed analysis of Iran's actions reveals instances where the country has attempted to adhere to international law. While the United States has also taken measures that are questionable from a strict legal standpoint, it has mostly demonstrated an attitude of attempting to maintain consistency with international law. By examining the attitudes of both nations, this article reaffirms the significance of international law as a standard for maintaining order.

In February 2026, a scientific drilling vessel operated by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) successfully recovered rare-earth-bearing mud from a depth of approximately 5,700 meters off the coast of Minami-Torishima, Japan's easternmost island. Regarding rare earths, China dominates the international market for extraction and refining; its tightening of export restrictions has had widespread repercussions, including forcing temporary halts in automobile production. While expectations are rising for stable rare earth extraction off Minami-Torishima, the question remains: can an operation succeed when located on a remote island far from the mainland and conducted at a seabed depth of approximately 6,000 meters? This article examines the challenges and prospects for commercializing this venture.

Kumejima Island lies approximately 100 kilometers west of the main island of Okinawa. For a quarter of a century, the island has engaged with deep ocean water—a vital local resource—through continuous research, industrial development, and human resource cultivation, all while pursuing a vision for the future. This initiative eventually came to be known as the "Kumejima Model," and it is now beginning to spread from Japan's remote islands to island regions across the globe.

Much of the marine plastic pollution in waters near Japan originates on land, while inland areas face issues such as the aging of artificial forests and the unchecked spread of abandoned bamboo groves. Because the sea and mountains are connected via watersheds, these challenges must be addressed holistically. While providing an overview of this broader picture, this article explores the potential for converting unused biomass into materials and utilizing bamboo resources for land-based aquaculture and introduces the specific developments to be discussed in subsequent articles.

We face two escalating issues: marine plastic pollution and the proliferation of abandoned bamboo groves across the Kyushu and Yamaguchi regions. The key to simultaneously solving these seemingly unrelated problems lies in the development of biodegradable plastics utilizing unused biomass. This article introduces innovative cellulose extraction technology that significantly reduces environmental impact, as well as proprietary material-processing technology that renders the extracted material thermoplastic, outlining a vision for a new regional resource circulation model that links the land and the sea.