For maritime accident prevention measures, initiatives such as Maritime Information and Communication System (MICS) and lighted buoys to serve as a platform for the meteorological information system to provide information, the hosting of intergovernmental maritime accident prevention liaison committees for the purpose of facilitating effective coordination of maritime accident prevention measures, and the promotion of the “National Campaign for Preventing Marine Casualties” among other activities through the coordination of relevant authorities and others.

In October 2013, the Council of Traffic Policy Maritime Subcommittee compiled the “Initiatives for the Safety of Maritime Traffic (Report)” which outlined the direction of maritime traffic safety policy along with specific measures. This report sets out to achieve the safe and smooth evacuation of vessels as well as drastic minimization of damages in the occurrence of large-scale disasters and the centralization of traffic control operations in Tokyo Bay to relieve vessel waiting times for traffic control signals and relieve congestion during peace times.

In addition, to improve the safety and efficiency of operations of transiting vessels in narrow waters, in the Kurushima Strait, accurate tide observations are being performed to establish an information provision system for tide information using area-wide simulation.

Also, electronic nautical charts are being further improved talking it to account that certain types of vessels are being obliged to deploy the Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) on board. A and nautical charts described only by English are published to prevent marine accidents by the ships operated by foreign crew. Revision of nautical charts in the major 15 ports affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake is still in progress.

For Aids to Navigation (AtoN), development is performed effectively and efficiently in accordance with the vessel traffic environment as well as needs and in fiscal 2013, improvements and renovation was carried out in 233 locations.

Also, of the 158 AtoN that were affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, the remaining 41 AtoN (as of March 2014) awaiting restoration, these will be restored in time as the ports and breakwaters are restored.

The “Marine Accident Analysis Center” established under the National Maritime Research Institute (Incorporated Administrative Agency) conducts highly specialized analysis of accidents as well as rapid analysis and sharing of information when major marine accidents occur.

Regarding the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, vital and extremely important sea transport lanes where 80% of Japan’s imported crude oil transits through, the Government of Japan has cooperated with the littoral states of the straits for the projects under the “Cooperative Mechanism” $ {}^{Note 1} $ , as well as the Japanese business industry and the Nippon Foundation, a public interest incorporated foundation, have been providing contributions to the Aids to Navigation Fund $ {}^{Note 2} $ . At the 6th Co-operation Forum under the mechanism held in October 2013, Japan explained the important role of the straits and Japan’s contributions for the safety of navigation in the straits, and appealed user states and other stakeholders for more contributions to the Fund with aim of staple and reliable management of the Fund. Japan, as a major user state of these straits, continues to contribute actively for the navigation safety in the straits through public and private sector utilizing the knowledge and experience obtained from cooperation and friendly relations with the littoral states as a sole cooperating country before the establishment of the Cooperative Mechanism.