In recent years, against the backdrop of the rapid progression of climate change and the intensification of overlapping geopolitical competition, the Arctic is moving beyond its traditional position as a domain of environmental and scientific concern and is transforming into a new geopolitical space where the reconfiguration of the international order and strategic interests intersect. Warming in the Arctic is advancing several times faster than the global average. While the decline in sea ice is opening up the possibility of new shipping routes and resource development, it is also having serious impacts on ecosystems and Indigenous communities.

In addition to these environmental changes, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has accelerated a series of major shifts, including the accession of Nordic countries to NATO, Russia’s military repositioning, and China’s expanding institutional engagement. As a result, the international environment surrounding the Arctic has reached a major turning point. The Arctic Council, which had traditionally functioned on the basis of cooperation and scientific collaboration, has been forced to operate under significant constraints, and Arctic governance is now in the process of forming a new order that contains elements of both competition and division.

Amid these changes, Japan’s engagement with the Arctic is also entering a new phase. Japan has thus far established itself as a trusted partner in the Arctic through scientific contributions and international cooperation grounded in observation and research. Today, however, as shipping routes, resources, security, and institution-building become increasingly intertwined, Japan is called upon to move beyond a conventional framework centered primarily on scientific cooperation and to pursue strategic engagement that integrates diplomacy, security, and economic policy. In particular, as Japan marks ten years since the announcement of its Arctic policy, with the completion of ArCS II and the forthcoming launch of a new Arctic research vessel, there is an urgent need to take stock of Japan’s Arctic policy to date and to envision the next stage of its engagement.

Against this backdrop, this project will comprehensively analyze the structural transformation of the international order surrounding the Arctic from multiple perspectives, including geopolitics, security, resources and energy, and international institutions. In doing so, it will examine the Arctic not merely as a regional issue, but as part of a broader order that is closely connected to the Asia-Pacific, and will assess the forms of engagement pursued by a diverse range of actors, including non-Arctic states. The project will also present policy options through which Japan can play a constructive role in Arctic governance, grounded in scientific knowledge, the rule of law, and multilateral cooperation.

To achieve these objectives, this study group will systematically advance research and analysis with the participation of experts who bring both interdisciplinary and practical perspectives.