Exclusive economic zone of Japan

Japan has the eighth largest exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the world.[1] The total area of Japan is about 377,975.24 km2.[2] Japan's EEZ area is vast and the territorial waters (including the Seto Inland Sea) and EEZ together is about 4.48 million km2.[3]

Japan's exclusive economic zones:
  Japan's EEZ
  Joint regime with the Republic of Korea
  EEZ claimed by Japan, disputed by other nations

Geography
Relief map of the seabed near Japan and the Japanese islands

The Japanese Archipelago consists of about 6,852 islands. The Exclusive Economic Zone of Japan includes:

EEZ Areas of Japan[4]
Region EEZ Area (km2) EEZ Area (sq mi)
Ryukyu Islands 1,394,676 538,487
Pacific Ocean (Japan) 1,162,334 448,780
Nanpō Islands 862,782 333,122
Sea of Japan 630,721 243,523
Minami-Tori-shima 428,875 165,590
Sea of Okhotsk 235 91
Daitō Islands 44 17
Senkaku Islands 7 2.7
Total[5] 4,479,674 1,729,612

History

In the 18th century, Dutch law scholar Cornelius van Bynkershoek wrote in his book "De Dominio Maris Dissertatio" (1702) that the coastal states control the waters within the range of cannons carried on warships of the time. This theory was supported by many countries, and the idea of having three nautical miles from the coastline as the territorial sea was established.

In the twentieth century, there have emerged examples of extending the scope of territorial waters, or claiming similar rights in areas beyond the territorial waters. These claims were adovocated by Dr. Pardeau, UN Ambassador of the Republic of Malta at the Second United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea in 1967. However, Japan, who was an advanced pelagic fishing country, took an opposing position because "wide open seas and narrow territorial waters" matched her national interests at the time.

But later, exploiting absence of Japanese EEZ, neighboring countries such as South and North Korea, China and Soviet Union entered the offshore fishing industry and began operating off the coast of Shimane and Tottori Prefectures, making the situation disadvantageous to Japan.[6][7] Therefore, in 1982, Japan supported the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) when it was created at the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea held in Montego Bay, Jamaica, and it came into effect in 1994.

The treaty gives Japan the right to explore and develop marine and non-living resources such as mineral resources, within 200 nautical miles of their coastline, and at the same time she is obligated to manage them and prevent marine pollution.

The Japanese government signed the treaty in February 1983 and ratified it in the Diet in June 1996.

Law Enforcement and Security

Japan has contributed to three UNCLOS organizations such as the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) and the International Seabed Authority (ISA).[8]

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) is responsible for protecting the EEZ of Japan. As an island nation, dependent on maritime trade for the majority of its resources, including food and raw materials, maritime operations are a very important aspect of Japanese defense policy.

The exclusive economic zone only recognizes the economic, scientific and environmental jurisdiction of the coastal countries and entry of a foreign fishing vessel into the EEZ is not automatically illegal. With regard to the above, a law (fishing sovereignty law, EEZ Fisheries Law) concerning the exercise of sovereign rights regarding fisheries, etc. in the exclusive economic zone (in Japanese) that regulates fisheries of foreigners within the exclusive economic zone of Japan is established.

Under the law, fines of 30 million yen or less will be imposed on foreign vessels which conducted unauthorized operation or operation on prohibited waters in the EEZ. It is also a violation of the above law when a foreign fishing vessel escapes by avoiding on-site inspections by fishery supervisor/fishing supervisors onboard a fisheries patrol boat (漁業取締船) of the Fisheries Agency, or maritime sheriffs onboard a Japan Coast Guard cutter. In this case, a fine of 3 million yen or less will be imposed. Also, the collateral for early release under the bond system is set to the same amount as the fine, and an additional collateral of 6 million yen per kg of illegal coral is set for illegal coral collection.

Response to foreign ballistic missiles

Anti-ballistic missiles for defense are very expensive, costing 500 million to 2 billion yen per shot. So the launched ballistic missiles are ignored when it is known by radar that they will land on where damage to Japanese nationals and assets are not expected. Also, the nationwide warning system, (J-Alert) will only issue a warning if it is determined that the missile will enter into Japanese territory or waters. J-Alert will not be used when the missile will fall somewhere in Japan's exclusive economic zone.

Disputes

Japan has disputes over its EEZ boundaries with all its Asian neighbors (China, Russia, South Korea, and Taiwan). The above, and relevant maps at the Sea Around Us Project[9][10][11] both indicate Japan's claimed boundaries.

Japan also refers to various categories of "shipping area" – Smooth Water Area, Coasting Area, Major or Greater Coasting Area, Ocean Going Area – but it is unclear whether these are intended to have any territorial or economic implications.

See also

References
  1. "海洋白書 2004". Nippon Foundation. Retrieved 11 February 2008.
  2. "令和元年全国都道府県市区町村別面積調（１０月１日時点）, Reiwa 1st year National area of each prefecture municipality (as of October 1)" (in Japanese). Geospatial Information Authority of Japan. 26 December 2019. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  3. "日本の領海等概念図". 海上保安庁海洋情報部. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
  4. "Sea Around Us – Fisheries, Ecosystems and Biodiversity". Retrieved 1 April 2017.
  5. Including areas recommended by the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf "CLCS".
  6. 『魚の経済学』　山下東子　日本評論社　79-82頁 ISBN 4535556091
  7. 元々はEEZを設定しない事で日本側が相手国の対岸の近くまで漁業ができた為、都合がよく。1965年の日中漁業協定は日本側の中国沿岸での漁業が問題視された事が発端であるが、1970年代後半以後、その立場は逆転する。日中漁業協定の項も参照
  8. "Law of the Sea". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
  9. EEZ and shelf areas of Japan (main islands) – Sea Around Us Project – Fisheries, Ecosystems & Biodiversity – Data and Visualization.
  10. EEZ and shelf areas of Japan (Daitō Islands) – Sea Around Us Project – Fisheries, Ecosystems & Biodiversity – Data and Visualization.
  11. EEZ and shelf areas of Japan (Ogasawara Islands) – Sea Around Us Project – Fisheries, Ecosystems & Biodiversity – Data and Visualization.
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