Japan is encircled by the ocean on all sides, and it has achieved economic progress through endeavors intimately associated with the maritime realm, such as international trade via maritime transportation and the fishing industry. Notably, Japan entrusts over 99% of its energy to maritime shipping, and it is scarcely an exaggeration to assert that maritime transport routes constitute Japan's vital lifeline.
However, the maritime domains of Japan are beset by an array of diverse threats. These encompass the activities of Chinese Coast Guard vessels in the vicinity of the Senkaku Islands, the operations of maritime research vessels that ignore international legal frameworks, large-scale illicit fishing ventures in the Sea of Japan and off the Ogasawara Islands, as well as the spy boat incidents of North Korea.
In response to these multifaceted threats, how can maritime law enforcement, anchored in the precepts of international and domestic law, effectively contend? Through this lecture, taking these threats as examples, we shall analyze law enforcement's functionality, referring to relevant international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.