Japan Coast Guard◢◤Our Mission 7:Maritime Traffic◢◤

Added: 2026-05-23

[00:00:12]Ensuring safety at sea, making sure every vessel reaches port safely.

[00:00:22]To achieve this, the Japan Coast Guard monitors lighouses and buoys across the country, as well as the rules of maritime traffic day and night.

[00:00:34]Across Japan, there are approximately 5,000 aids to navigation, such as lighouses.

[00:00:41]If even one fails, it can affect vessels at sea.

[00:00:46]Inspection, cleaning, and maintenance each may seem routine, but together they ensure that the lights never go out. And with that, the safety of navigation is maintained.

[00:01:00]In busy waterways such as Tokyo Bay, the Kurushima Strait, and Osaka Bay, vessel traffic service, VTS centers, monitor and manage ship traffic using radar and AIS. They track vessel positions and provide information by radio when there is a risk of collision.

[00:01:22]Like air traffic control, they watch over safety at sea.

[00:01:28]When large vessels navigate these waters, reporting systems are used to share routes and schedules in advance.

[00:01:35]This helps prevent close encounters and potential collisions with other vessels.

[00:01:41]Weather information and navigational warnings are also provided in real time, helping ensure that all vessels can navigate safely.

[00:01:52]At sea, weather and currents can change conditions in an instant.

[00:01:58]The Japan Coast Guard immediately detects incidents such as navigational trouble and grounding accidents, working with related agencies to ensure safety.

[00:02:10]Preventing accidents before they happen.

[00:02:12]This is what true capability looks like.

[00:02:17]As times change, safety and maritime traffic continues to evolve.

[00:02:23]route analysis, drone inspections, and the use of satellite data.

[00:02:29]Using new technologies, they are building safer and more efficient sea routes for the future.

[00:02:38]Lights do not speak, but they guide vessels safely along their routes.

[00:02:46]Behind these systems are those who maintain and operate them.

[00:02:51]Each one supports lives and the flow of goods.

[00:02:58]Today, the sea remains safe.