Tokyo has acted on a decision by a United Nations commission to approve a 177,000 sq km extension of its sovereignty claims to its continental shelf. The newly claimed areas are identified as the Shikoku Basin Region and the Southern Oki-Daito Ridge Region. An ordinance adopted by the Japanese cabinet on Tuesday means Tokyo now has sovereign rights over the two areas, including fisheries and the exploitation of natural resources on the sea floor and beneath the seabed. http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/artic...its-sea-territory-177000-sq-km-line-un-ruling
