ABSTRACT
This chapter attempts to translate topologically the contemporary conceptual relationship between borders, sovereignty and bodies into the context of the sea. The chapter begins with questions about a definition of borders at sea, types of borders in terms of levels of enclosure and freedom, and levels of sovereignty rather than merely translating or applying these existing conceptualizations in this context. The topological translation of a space of exception in this chapter is not simply about a dichotomous theoretical application of Agamben. It is an attempt to provide a further topological imagination of the spatialization of exception beyond its original formulation on land. It illustrated, the 2001 suspicious vessel incident did not emerge without historical specificities including the JCG failure to seize other suspicious vessels in 1999 off the Noto Peninsula, and Japanese political atmosphere after the events, which subsequently introduced counter-terrorism measures.
