This project has been promoted through a network of four bases, centered on the National Museum of Ethnology Base. The project aims to promote new area studies, that simultaneously address multiple areas of East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania. It solely emphasizes on the perspective of sea areas, without focusing on area studies divided by the conventional concept of areas such as states based on land areas or East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania. The common purpose of exploring island environments in the maritime world, and the transformation dynamics between culture and society was achieved by recognizing the presence of fundamental cultural commonality in the area, similar to the “Austronesian” language family area at the bottom. This research also aims at reaching a comprehensive understanding of cross-border movement and networking of people, goods, and information spanning, from Maritime Asia to Oceania in the modern age.