A s an island nation, Japan owes its economic prosperity largely to trade via sea routes. The United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea, which stipulates a 12-nautical mile territorial limit and a 200-nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone, went into effect in 1994 and Japan ratified it in 1996.
Japan, however, has lacked a legal framework for carrying out a comprehensive policy aimed at properly developing marine resources and protecting its maritime interests. On April 20, the Diet enacted the Basic Law of the Sea, scheduled to go into effect July 16, Marine Day.
The law is important because it provides a national framework for taking unified, comprehensive measures to promote development of maritime resources and to ensure maritime safety. So far, eight different government ministries have been in charge of sea-related policies, but they have not communicated closely with one another. They include the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and the Defense Ministry.