As a maritime nation, the seas await Japan (IHT/Asahi: February 3, 2004) - - -
...At Irizaki point on Yonagunijima island, Okinawa ...'Japan's westernmost point.'' Standing there, looking out at the ocean before me, I realized it is here that Japanese civilization ends and Chinese civilization begins somewhere beyond. ...
...the linchpin of Japan's western coastal defense, including the security of the Senkaku islands. It is painted white so that it is instantly recognizable. Its job is to serve as a deterrent. Like a caring father and mother ...
... main purpose is believed to be the survey of continental shelves. The U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea defines a continental shelf as the seabed that lies a distance of 200 nautical miles from a coastal country. However, depending on the topography and geology of the seabed, a country may expand the outer boundary of its continental shelf. ...
...Recognizing once again that Japan is an ocean nation is the starting point for Japan to open up the four seas that surround it.
