ABSTRACT
Japan has a long record of engagement with the polar regions. For both regions, the key characteristics of Japan’s policy are an emphasis on maintaining a peaceful order based on international law, the promotion of science and the utilisation of scientific knowledge, and the sustainable utilisation of resources. While Japan’s focus on the polar regions had been on the Antarctic for most of history, it is now shifting from the Antarctic to the Arctic. Regarding the Antarctic, Japan’s fundamental policy has been to support the international regime under the Antarctic Treaty as a consultative party. Its basic legal position is that of a non-claimant, which does not recognise any claims to territorial sovereignty to Antarctica and does not assert any claims of its own. Japan also adopts the same position concerning maritime claims and has emphasised the sustainable use of living resources. Regarding the Arctic, Japan started to pursue an Arctic policy around 2010. Japan’s Arctic Policy, a policy document dedicated to the Arctic, was adopted in 2015. Japan’s Arctic policy is built on three main pillars: research and development, international cooperation and sustainable use. These features are apparent in Japan’s policies on Arctic shipping and fishing in the Central Arctic Ocean.
