“…About 200 km north of the Muroto Transect, NanTroSEIZE established 13 drilling sites along the Kumano Transect off the Kii Peninsula where the plate boundary fault system is within reach of the Chikyu's riser drilling technology. In the course of numerous seismic and bathymetric surveys, the structure of the Nankai Trough off Shikoku was imaged extensively (e.g., Aoki et al, 1982;Ashi and Taira, 1992;Costa Pisani et al, 2005;Kodaira et al, 2000;Le Pichon et al, 1987;Moore et al, 1990Moore et al, , 1991Okino and Kato, 1995;Park et al, 1999Park et al, , 2000Stoffa et al, 1992;Taira and Ashi, 1993). A large volume of 3-D seismic reflection data was acquired in 1999 (R/V Ewing Cruise 9907/8) in an effort to image the décollement from the trench into the seismogenic zone (e.g., Bangs et al, 1999Bangs et al, , 2004Bangs and Gulick, 2005;Gulick et al, 2004).…”