A perspective on Japan's struggle for its traditional rights on the oceans

Abstract

Abstract After a series of setbacks due to the unilateral legislative actions of some coastal powers, Japan has made some major policy changes toward the new regimes of the sea—much against what it has preached, but out of necessity. Those changes relate to the territorial sea, international straits, and a 200‐mi exclusive fishery zone; each change poses problems peculiar to Japan. I will review the apparently antiquated traditionalist approach toward the new ocean regimes to which Japan adhered so tenaciously. The long‐range policy of Japan, I believe, should be geared to preservation of its traditional resources rights rather than maintenance of the tra ditional regimes on the oceans. Japan's traditional rights may survive even within the framework of the Revised Single Negotiating Text through vigorous and successful bilateral negotiations. On the other hand, a wide exclusive economic zone may prove to be beneficial to Japan, particularly when mineral resources are considered, depending, of course, upon the criteria applied to the delimitation of the exclusive zone. In a proper perspective Japan, too, will find itself a beneficiary of the new law of the sea.