The term 'Maritime Asia' was first used by the representative of this research project to distinguish it from 'Continental Asia'. In the field of socio-economic history, the term has come to be accepted in recent years. 'Maritime Asia' is mainly composed of the three Maritime areas, 'Maritime East Asia', 'Maritime South Asia' and 'Maritime Southeast Asia'; the last of these areas is the region where the former two areas overlap. These regions are different from one another. One example is their religions. 'Maritime South Asia' is marked by Islam and Hinduism, 'Maritime East Asia' by Confucianism, Taoism, and Shamanism, and 'Maritime Southeast Asia' by Christianity and Buddhism, in addition to the above mentioned, and almost all the religions. Seas can be boundaries to separate lands, but at the same time they can be mediums to connect separated lands. Especially 'Maritime Asia' has been an area where boats, coming and going, have exchanged their products to spread its culture and materials to other lands since pre-history. ThatÁs why 'Maritime Southeast Asia', the center of 'Maritime Asia', is marked by so many religions. 'Maritime Asia' can be said to have contributed much to the birth of modern civilizations. As other scholars and I have shown, 'Maritime South Asia' can be said to have been the base from which the modern civilization that its beginnings in Europe spread, and that 'Maritime East Asia' was the mother of the modern civilization that began in and spread from Japan. After the Cold War, the world came to be divided broadly into three areas, the European Union (EU), North America, and 'East Asia'( ASEAN plus 3 {Japan, Korea, and China}). Different from the other continental areas, 'East Asia' can be characterized by each country facing the sea. It would be more suitable to call the area not just 'East Asia' but 'Maritime East Asia'. The presidents of 'ASEAN plus 3' have started creating a genuine 'East Asian Community' since 2005, and this is truly a Maritime community. Today 'Maritime Asia' is called the 'Unsettled Arc,' after the instability of its politics and its coastline. Starting from the basis of the above facts, the research team members are going to explore the possibilities of stable peaceful cross cultural and civilizational spheres of 'Maritime Asia'.

代表者	川勝　平太	国際日本文化研究センター研究部・教授
Organizer	松田　利彦	国際日本文化研究センタ－研究部・助教授
Team Researcher	李　珦淑	元京都市立芸術大学非常勤講師
〃	池田　　哲	アルバータ大学／京都大学東南アジア研究所・準教授
〃	鵜飼　政志	明星大学・非常勤講師
〃	北　　政巳	創価大学経済学部・教授
〃	北川　勝彦	関西大学経済学部・教授
〃	久米　高史	東京大学東洋文化研究所・非常勤研究員
〃	島田　竜登	元ライデン大学大学院
〃	高橋　　周	大東文化大学経済学部・非常勤講師
〃	辻　智佐子	城西大学経営学部・講師
〃	中村　宗悦	大東文化大学経済学部・教授
〃	濱田　　陽	帝京大学短期大学・講師
〃	松島　泰勝	東海大学海洋学部・助教授
〃	三田　剛史	日本学術振興会特別研究員
〃	宮田　敏之	東京外国語大学外国語学部・助教授
〃	武藤　秀太郎	日本学術振興会特別研究員
〃	アレクサンダー・ベネット	国際日本文化研究センター研究部・助手
〃	金子　晋右	国際日本文化研究センター研究部・研究機関研究員
〃	四方田　雅史	国際日本文化研究センター研究部・外来研究員
〃	宮田　昌明	国際日本文化研究センター研究部・研究機関研究員