How many natural resources are there in the waters near Japan? Possibility of Japan including EEZ.

Photo by 海上保安庁 (licensed under 海上保安庁)

Trauma of Japan, a country without resources

Japan is in a state where it can be said that marine resource development is almost untouched. As a country lacking in natural resources, it relies on foreign sources for many natural resources, including oil. During World War II, Japan was surrounded by ABCD as a country with no natural resources, and was in a situation similar to a food raid. They lost the war due to America's overwhelming amount of supplies. One cannot help but wonder why marine resource development did not progress after the war. Since we lost the war because we didn't have the resources, there may be many people who argue that searching for resources means starting another war, but this is a completely different story.

Japan's area is not small

Japan's land area is ３８０,０００ km２, ranking it ６２nd out of １９６ countries in the world. Japanese people tend to think of Japan as a small country because they tend to focus on top-tier countries such as the United States, China, and Russia, but Germany, Finland, and Poland are smaller in area. However, Japan is a maritime nation. When looking at the total of territorial sea, contiguous zone, and EEZ, Japan ranks ６th in the world in terms of ocean area with ４.４７ million km２. And if you add the extended continental shelf, it is ４.６５ million km２. If Japan's land area is added to this, the area that Japan can independently mine is ５.０３ million km２.

Japan accounts for ５２.４% of mainland China

China is covered by countries such as Japan and Taiwan, and there are few oceans that China occupies. That's why they dream of expanding into the ocean, but China's land area is ９.６ million km２, and in fact, including the sea, Japan has about ５２.４% of mainland China. is. Because China has a large land area, natural resources and oil are mined. However, Japan's seabed resources are still unknown.

Rare earths, oil, these are just the beginning

In ２０１８, researchers from Waseda University and Tokyo University discovered that hundreds of years' worth of global demand for rare earths, which are essential for manufacturing precision equipment, is found on the ocean floor around Minamitorishima in the Ogasawara Islands. This was discovered through the team's investigation. A research team from Ibaraki University and Hokkaido University has announced that one of the world's largest oil fields may lie dormant off the coast of Ibaraki Prefecture's Goura coast in ２０２０.

Are undersea resources a treasure trove to save Japan?

The ２００７ Basic Law on Ocean Policy was formulated during the first Abe Cabinet, and Japan's exploration of seabed resources went into full swing. What if Japan becomes a resource-rich nation? I would never have thought of that. Because Japan is a small country... No. There is a high possibility that there will be a breakthrough in undersea exploration. There may come a time when Japanese people don't have to work so hard.