3 The 1998 Project
3-1 Publication of Reports
The achievements of the 1998 project will be published in the form of hard copy and will also be available at the Nippon Foundation web site
3-2 Activities
--Research Committee
--Research Delegates to Australia
--Meetings with Overseas Guests
3-2-1 Review on Research Committee
30 to 40 people from various kinds of circles participated in the project. The affiliations of these people include the Japanese Maritime Safety Agency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, shipping companies, the US Navy, the mass media (the Nikkei Shimbun, the Yomiuri Shimbun, the Sankei Shimbun), the World Battle Ships (a monthly journal). Most of them are working-level experts, and contributed to the project by bringing in their thoughtful insights into maritime issues.
Through these people, the project was able to expand its human and intellectual network dealing with maritime issues. However, it was pointed out by some project members that the network seems to tend to focus on working-level rather than academic. The next year project should increase its academic intakes. The research committee adopted a historical approach to studying the US Navy. This approach was found highly useful, and the project should continue with the approach to deal with other maritime issues.
Lastly, as one of the major problems of the UN Law of the Seas, the project pointed out the law's flaws, which often cause the difficult problem of delimitation. China's move to expand its territorial waters was also pointed out as a present and potential concern for freedom of navigation. These are important discoveries by the research committee.
3-2-2 Review on the Delegation to Australia
The 1997 project sent a delegation to Hawaii. The delegation exchanged opinions with the US Pacific Fleet Command and other major think tanks especially on the Asian financial crisis and security issues.
