| October |
- As requested by Japan Federation of Economic Organizations, the authorized corporation, "Japan Marine Science and Technology Center", was established based on the government and industrial investments and contributions.
|
| April |
- The system of "SHINKAI 6500" completed.
|
| March |
- "KAIKO" succeeded in the world's deepest dive in the Mariana Trench.
|
| October |
|
| October |
- "Washington Office" opened.
- "Mutsu Institute for Oceanography" inaugurated.
|
| April |
|
| November |
- "Global Oceanographic Data Center" (Nago city, Okinawa) opened.
|
| April |
- "Earth Simulator" recorded the world's highest computing performance.
|
| August |
- "Yokohama Institute for Earth Sciences"opened.
|
| April |
- Independent Administrative Institution, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology inaugurated.
|
| July |
- Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology reorganized as four research centers and three centers.
|
| February |
- Survey on the Earthquake off the coast of Indonesia's Sumatra Island implemented.
- "URASHIMA" set a new world record for the continuous cruise of 317 km.
|
| September |
- The newly constructed Deep-Sea Drilling Vessel CHIKYU was opened to the public.
|
| October |
- Kochi Institute for Core Sample Research was established.
|
| December |
- Live capture of benthic organisms using a "shuttle elevator" was succeeded for the first time.
|
| February |
- Columnar distribution of methane hydrate on the ocean floor off the coast of
Niigata discovered.
|
