TOP > What's up around the Prime Minister > May, 2008

Commemorative Ceremony for the 60th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Coast Guard System Monday, May 12, 2008 JAPANESE

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda attended the Commemorative Ceremony for the 60th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Coast Guard System held at a hotel in Tokyo, and gave an address in the presence of Their Majesties The Emperor and Empress of Japan. The Coast Guard System was established in May 1948 with the enactment of the Japan Coast Guard Law. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the system which has aimed to protect human lives and assets on the seas and to ensure maritime safety and order. In his address, Prime Minister Fukuda said, "The Government formulated the Basic Plan on Ocean Policy this March to strategically promote ocean policy, with a view to becoming a truly maritime nation. With the Basic Plan in place, the Japan Coast Guard is now expected to play a major role in such fields as ensuring maritime safety and integrated management of the seas. Using this occasion commemorating the landmark 60th anniversary, I ask each and every one of you to respond to the people's trust and steadily fulfill the important mission of protecting the seas."