Why Japan keeps sea-lane security in view

Does Japan understand sea lines of communication because of wartime blockade and its island geography?

Partly, but persistent regional threats and the Coast Guard's postwar combat experience also keep the issue central.

Wartime blockade and island geography are accepted as part of the explanation for Japan's attention to sea lines of communication. Nearby threats remained after the Cold War, limiting the sense that maritime security requirements had disappeared. Coast Guard museums supply examples of North Korean vessels captured or sunk after armed encounters. Those examples support the argument that the service has accumulated more postwar combat experience than many navies. Cutters seen during the visit are recalled as immaculately maintained.