ABSTRACT

The 2008 Japan Coast Guard (JCG) annual report carried a feature article on the dramatically changing missions of the JCG. 1 Its core missions—marine environmental protection, marine surveys, rescue, law enforcement, and safety of navigation—remain intact, but, for example, heavily-armed, high-speed North Korean spy boats running wild in Japanese waters, growing tension over maritime interests, and threats from terrorism and proliferation have all made the role of the JCG more important for the protection of Japan’s sovereignty and sea borders. The JCG has also come to play a greater role in countering the increased number of piracy incidents in the distant waters of Southeast Asia. In addition, it has initiated many bilateral and multilateral mechanisms to keep good order at sea.