Chikyu (meaning “Earth”) is a high-performance scientific research vessel developed by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology capable of drilling up to 7,000 meters under the seabed. Completed in 2005, Chikyu can bore through the Earth’s mantle to explore the planet’s tectonic changes. By drilling at the seismic sources of massive earthquakes, Chikyu seeks to elucidate the mechanisms that cause these temblors. It has been exploring the seabed off the Kii Peninsula - the hypocenter of the 1944 M8.0 Tonankai Earthquake - since September 2007 as part of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program led by Japan and the United States.