領海

• Reading: りょうかい
• Romaji: ryōkai
• Kanji breakdown: 領 (ryō) — territory, domain, rule over; 海 (kai/umi) — sea, ocean
• Pronunciation: /ɾʲoː.kaɪ/

Meaning

Territorial waters. The belt of coastal waters extending up to 12 nautical miles from the baseline of a state over which it exercises full sovereignty.

Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 領海 is distinct from the contiguous zone (接続水域, up to 24 nm) and the exclusive economic zone (排他的経済水域, up to 200 nm). Japan's 領海 are frequently in the news due to disputes with neighbouring countries over uninhabited islands and the intrusion of foreign vessels. 領海侵犯 (territorial waters violation) is a significant diplomatic and security term.

Examples

1. 外国の軍艦が無断で日本の領海に侵入したとして、海上保安庁が抗議した。 The Japan Coast Guard lodged a protest after a foreign warship entered Japanese territorial waters without authorization.
2. 尖閣諸島周辺の領海への中国船の侵入が繰り返され、緊張が高まっている。 Tensions are rising as Chinese vessels repeatedly intrude into the territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands.
3. 国際法上、他国の領海を通過する際には無害通航権が認められている。 Under international law, the right of innocent passage is recognized when transiting through another country's territorial waters.

Usage Guide

Context: international law, maritime security, diplomacy, geography

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Formed from 領 (ryō, domain/territory — from the sense of a ruler's domain) and 海 (kai/umi, sea). A modern legal-geographical compound codified through 19th-century international maritime law.

Cultural Context

Era: Meiji–Contemporary

Generation: Adults

Social background: General