Contribution to "extension of the continental shelf." (2012)
In April 2012, the outer limit of the extended continental shelf (ECS) of Japan was recommended by the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf. As a result, the extended area deemed to be Japan's continental shelf is now almost 80% of Japan's land area. For Japan, this was extremely important news, as it increases the area that may be developed for seabed resources. As the submission of ECS required scientific proof, AIST, as the organization in charge of geological surveys in Japan, set up an investigative research team, and has provided technical support to the national ECS program for the past eight years.