Nearly Half of Japanese Have Not Been to the Sea During the Past Year: Poll (2)

In announcing the results of our awareness survey on the ocean at a press conference on July 15, Mr. Mitsuyuki Unno, executive director of The Nippon Foundation, commented: “The coronavirus pandemic has meant a loss of opportunities for many people, including children, to experience the ocean. This survey has shown a link between the frequency of visits to the ocean and the level of attachment to the ocean, so we will continue to work with local governments and companies in various regions to create opportunities to visit the ocean and strengthen the dissemination of information.”

The foundation will also work to create high-quality content for children to learn more about ocean issues, he said, adding: “Given the fact that the pandemic appears set to continue for some time, we will work to create new relationships with the ocean using digital content and video, so that people can feel closer to the ocean from wherever they are.”

For my part, I noted that Japan is a maritime country that has a close relationship with the ocean, as shown by the enactment of the 2007 Basic Act on Ocean Policy and being the only country in the world to observe a Marine Day public holiday.

“This is why I believe it is very important to survey the degree to which the young people who are our future are interested in the ocean,” I said, adding: “I hope that by widely distributing the results of this survey, young people in Japan, a country surrounded by ocean, will feel affection toward the ocean and understand the role that the bounty of the ocean plays in their daily lives. I also hope that this will spur a deeper interest in the ocean among all Japanese people.”

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