ABSTRACT
As a maritime nation surrounded by the sea, Japan has various interests in the maritime domain. Despite the gravity of interests in the maritime domain, Japan had no specific maritime policy and acted as one voice. However, China's assertive behaviour raised concerns among the Japanese, leading to the adoption of the maritime policy for the first time in 2008. Nevertheless, due to the comprehensive nature of issues, Japan has not been able to consolidate its resources and power to effectively implement its policies. This chapter aims to comprehensively study Japan's Blue Security. It first investigates Japan's interests in four areas, such as national security, trade, crime, and environment. It then examines what approaches Japan has taken to defend its interests, in particular, the safety of sea lanes, and what gaps exist in its approaches. It concludes with some recommendations.
