Japan consists of 6,852 islands which are the basis for the vast Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Various marine resources exist in the EEZ which is also important as an area for the preservation of marine resources. Neritic waters are formed in the surrounding areas of those islands, and they function as a habitat for marine creatures. In particular, due to the importance of marine management and the expectations of the development of marine resources and energy, the Basic Act on Ocean Policy was enacted in 2007, and a new Basic Plan on Ocean Policy was approved by the Cabinet in April 2013, in which the strategically important role of remote islands to the nation has been highlighted.  

On the other hand, due to reasons such as geographical constraints, remote islands are left in a relatively precarious situation in terms of the level of economic development and improvement in living standards. In addition, as aging and depopulation is progressing rapidly, and successors of fisheries are decreasing, there arise strong concerns regarding the maintenance of the living environment and local infrastructure. 

Although many challenges exist in the environment surrounding remote islands as described above, there are great expectations to overcome the challenges, and various efforts have been made. Hence, aiming to deepen the understanding of remote islands, articles in this special issue discuss the current situation and challenges facing remote islands, introduce efforts to overcome the challenges, and present successful cases that take advantage of the special characteristics of the islands.