Arctic Yearbook 2012
Japan’s Arctic Policy: The Sum of Many Parts
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accident in 2011. If the Japanese government is to prioritize Arctic affairs, a more unified framework
will be required.
8
That said, Japan has a long history in polar research and this is acknowledged and encouraged by the
Japanese government. The Japanese government believes Japan can contribute to the sustainable
development of the Arctic by providing scientific knowledge. Furthermore, given that Japan does
not have the legal title to access natural resources in the region, it is critical for Japan to engage in
international research and development in cooperation with littoral states to secure interests in the
future. From this perspective, one can perhaps view the overarching ambition of Japan’s Arctic
policy as planting a flag today, to be used tomorrow.
Notes
1.
Japan is one of the 14 High Contracting Parties to the Spitsbergen Treaty.
2.
See
,
for more on vertical fragmentation (tatewari gyosei) within the
Japanese government administration.
3.
See Self-Defense Forces Act (Act No. 165 of 1954), 4th clause of Article 100, the Enforcement
Order of the Self-Defense Forces Act (Cabinet Order No. 179 of 1954).
4.
The SDF Act specifically states that the SDF shall perform shipping and other cooperation for
scientific research in Antarctica. Traditionally, SDF takes a narrow interpretation of the SDF Act.
5.
In comparison, Japan joined the IASC much earlier than other Asian countries; China joined
IASC in 1996, Korea in 2002 and India in 2012, respectively.
6.
Interview with Fujio Onishi, Research Fellow of the Ocean Policy Research Foundation,
February 2012.
7.
Interview with Fujio Onishi, Research Fellow of the Ocean Policy Research Foundation,
February 2012.
8.
Interview with MoFA official, February 2012.