On November 6, 2025, The Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA) hosted a seminar on the protection of merchant vessels titled "The Increasingly Severe Securities Environment in the Indo-Pacific Region and the Legal Framework for the Protection of Maritime Transport."

Discussions in Japan on protecting merchant vessels have traditionally focused on piracy and other non-state threats. However, recent incidents highlight that state-on-state conflicts now pose significant risks to maritime transport.

With tensions rising in the South and East China Seas, Japan cannot remain indifferent. To address these concerns, JIIA brought together domestic and international security experts, commercial shipping companies, and other relevant stakeholders to exchange views on safeguarding merchant vessels during international armed conflicts.

The seminar featured reports from the security sector on legal frameworks related to the protection of merchant vessels, while the private sector provided assessments of risks in international armed conflicts from a business perspective. A lively Q&A session followed, fostering active discussion among participants.