Training ship Fukae-maru, Kobe University graduate school of maritime sciences, went into service on October 14, 1987. Since then, she has been engaged in the maritime education and academic pursuits of the university for 21 years. Along with university integration on October 1, 2003 and national universities institutionalization on April 1, 2004, her social environment has changed greatly. In this situation, by enacting a new law of Japan concerning the ocean on April, 2007, the Japanese Government began to make efforts so that the general public might understand the maritime affairs and the ocean. It became a reexamine stage when the ideal way of further cooperation with local community and contribution to the society of Fukae-maru in addition to an original activity in Kobe University. Then, the authors investigated various activities and services of Fukae-maru for 4 years before and after the university integration to evaluate the possibility of her further activity and functions.
