No.209
| April 20, 2009 |
| ● | The Ship Recycling Convention and Japan's Role Koichi Kato Director, International Affairs Office, Shipbuilding and Ship Machinery Division, Maritime Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Selected Papers No.12 |
| ● | Learn about Ships and the Sea at the Museum of Maritime Science Nobuyuki Kobori Director of Educational Activities, Museum of Maritime Science |
| ● | The First Japanese to Circle the Globe:Castaways of the Wakamiya-Maru Mikio Oshima Secretary-General, Ishinomaki Wakamiya-Maru Castaway Society Selected Papers No.12 |
The Ship Recycling Convention and Japan's Role
Koichi KatoDirector, International Affairs Office, Shipbuilding and Ship Machinery Division, Maritime Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
When they come to the end of their operational life, superannuated ships are usually sent to be dismantled in developing countries, where labor costs are lower. In some countries, ship breaking is frequently accompanied by fatalities, serious injuries or environmental pollution, creating a problem of worldwide concern. To address this problem, a Ship Recycling Convention is due to be adopted in May this year. As a world leader in ocean navigation and shipbuilding, Japan is expected to show leadership in this respect.
Learn about Ships and the Sea at the Museum of Maritime Science
Nobuyuki KoboriDirector of Educational Activities, Museum of Maritime Science
In the museum world, the praises of “dialogue” and “cooperation” are often sung. The hands-on learning and display activities carried out by the Museum of Maritime Science are designed to foster interest in ships and the sea, but to maintain and build on this interest we believe “dialogue” and “cooperation” with the home and schools is needed and so look upon this as a challenge we want to address.
The First Japanese to Circle the Globe:Castaways of the Wakamiya-Maru
Mikio OshimaSecretary-General, Ishinomaki Wakamiya-Maru Castaway Society
This is the story of four shipwrecked sailors from the Wakamiya-Maru who unwittingly circled the globe during Japan's era of national isolation. Behind their extraordinary tale lay an impasse between Russia, which sought trade with Japan, and the shogun, who wished only to maintain Japan's isolation. This paper will retrace the footsteps of the Wakamiya-Maru castaways and introduce the activities of the Ishinomaki Wakamiya-Maru Castaway Society, established in 2001 to commemorate their journey.