Japan is an island nation surrounded by the sea on all sides and has achieved economic development in industries closely related to the sea, such as international shipping and fisheries. In particular, Japan depends on more than 99% of its imports and exports on maritime transportation, which is often described as the Japanese lifeline.
Numerous maritime threats, however, exist around Japan. Those include activities of Chinese Coast Guard ships around the Senkaku islands, activities of research ships that do not comply with international law, large-scale illegal fishing activities in the Sea of Japan and off the Ogasawara Islands, and North Korea's missile launching and spy boats activities.
How can the Japan Coast Guard respond to such threats by maritime law enforcement based on international and national law? In the series of lectures, while referring to international law, including international law of the sea, we will attempt to analyze how law enforcement functions in each specific case.