Japan Expands Its Continental Shelf By 120,000 sq km

Japan's continental shelf grew by 120,000 square kilometers in July, expanding by an area equivalent to about 30% of its total national land, with the addition of Pacific waters east of Chichijima in the Ogasawara island chain, Japan Times reported.

The expansion, made possible by ongoing maritime surveys by the Japan Coast Guard (JCG), has raised hopes for potential resource development. I Photo: UNESCO World Heritage Centre

The expansion, made possible by ongoing maritime surveys by the Japan Coast Guard (JCG), has raised hopes for potential resource development.

The newly added area is believed to contain valuable rare metals, including cobalt. A continental shelf forms part of a country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), where it holds exclusive rights to develop resources.

According to the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), a continental shelf can be extended if its geological and topographical continuity is proven.

The JCG began investigating Japan’s continental shelf in 1983, and after 25 years of surveys, it submitted an application to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf in 2008, seeking recognition for seven areas along Japan’s EEZ in the Pacific.

In 2012, the UN commission recommended extending four out of the seven areas. The Shikoku Basin and the area south of the Okidaito Ridge were officially added to Japan’s continental shelf in 2014.