Japan News

Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Yanmar Power Solution, and Japan Engine Corporation have successfully conducted the world’s first land-based operation of marine hydrogen engines. The demonstration took place at Japan Engine’s headquarters factory, where a newly installed liquefied hydrogen fuel supply system was utilized.Kawasaki Heavy Industries manufactured the new liquefied hydrogen fuel supply system, that stores and gasifies liquid hydrogen, supplying it at both high and low pressure to engines developed by the three companies.

ClassNK has added Japan's first hydrogen-fueled tugboat TEN-OH to its register, which is built by TSUNEISHI SHIPBUILDING Co., Ltd.This vessel was developed and build under the 'Nippon Foundation Zero Emission Ships Project', a grant program by The Nippon Foundation aimed at developing ships with zero CO2 emissions.Based on discussions among the parties involved during the planning stage of the vessel, ClassNK reviewed the safety requirements and countermeasures for hydrogen-fueled…

Tsuneishi Shipbuilding has delivered Ten-Oh, Japan’s first tugboat equipped with a hydrogen-powered internal combustion engine.The 38-meter tugboat is equipped with a BeHydro high-output hydrogen dual-fuel engine and a high-pressure hydrogen gas storage system with large-capacity and supply system, supplied by JPNH2YDRO — a joint venture between Tsuneishi Group and CMB.TECH.The vessel was developed and built under The Nippon Foundation’s Zero Emission Ships Project which aims…

Japan's second-largest shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines wants to tie up with Indian companies to build tankers in India, aiding the South Asian nation's effort to boost local manufacturing, its chief executive, Takeshi Hashimoto said.New Delhi is modernizing its maritime laws to allow foreign participation in the sector, including ship-building, ports and shipyards, to reduce freight outgoings to foreign firms by at least a third by 2047."The Indian government has a strong preference to see the new vessels constructed in India.

President José Raúl Mulino met with more than 40 representatives of shipping companies from Japan’s Kanto region, where he presented Panama’s new ship registry strategy aimed at safeguarding its global leadership through enhanced safety standards and fully digitalized processes.Mulino emphasized that Panama’s registry is positioning itself as the flag of the future, driven by new policies aligned with international benchmarks for safety, efficiency, and environmental protection.The stakes are high for Japan: 7 out of 10 Japanese shipowners already fly the Panamanian flag…

Fairfield-Maxwell Ltd. (FML) is returning to the shipping industry in Japan and opening a new office in Tokyo aimed at participating in ship construction, ownership, investment and leasing.The new company will focus on being the tonnage provider of choice and offering a diverse range of vessel types, including chemical tankers, medium range (MR) tankers, gas carriers and newbuilds.The new company – to be named Fairfield Maritime Japan Ltd. – will be a part of a newly formed Fairfield Maritime Group.

Building on the successful delivery of the Slipway Systems for all twelve Mogami-class Multirole Frigates, PALFINGER has again been selected to supply its technology for Japan’s next-generation FFM-class Multirole Frigates. PALFINGER’s stern launch and recovery systems are designed to optimize the deployment and retrieval of USVs and boats during naval operations, offering efficient and dependable solutions tailored to the needs of Governmental, Navy and Coast Guard vessels.While maintaining visual similarities with the existing Mogami-class…

A joint U.S. and Japanese military exercise will see the temporary deployment of the "Typhon" intermediate-range missile in Japan, Japanese and U.S. officials said on Thursday, a move likely to anger China.The Typhon system is part of a drive by Washington to amass a variety of anti-ship weapons in Asia. The weapon drew sharp criticism from China when first deployed in the Philippines in 2024, also during a training exercise.A spokesperson for Japan's Ground Self Defense Force said the Typhon would be deployed to the U.S.

A fire broke out on U.S. naval ship New Orleans off southern Japan's Okinawa prefecture on Wednesday but there are no reports of any injuries, the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) said on Wednesday.An official from Japan's Defense Ministry said the country's Self-Defence Forces were engaging in firefighting efforts, but that no further details were available.The JCG said one of its ships near the U.S. vessel was also preparing to join the effort to bring the blaze under control, adding that no oil leaks had been observed in nearby waters.(Reuters)

MOL Cruises has named its new cruise ship, scheduled to enter service in late 2026, the Mitsui Ocean Sakura.The vessel will enter service as a Japanese-flagged ship in late 2026, offering a wide range of itineraries centered on short- to medium-term cruises departing from and arriving at various ports in Japan.With a gross tonnage of approximately 32,000 tons and a length of less than 200 meters, the new cruise ship can call at ports in various regions, from remote islands in…

Japan clinched a landmark A$10 billion ($6.5 billion) deal on Tuesday to build warships for Australia, marking Tokyo's most consequential defence sale since ending a military export ban in 2014 as it steps away from postwar pacifism to counter China.Under the agreement, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries 7011.T will supply the Royal Australian Navy with three, upgraded Mogami-class multi-role frigates built in Japan from 2029. Eight more frigates will be built in Australia.Designed to hunt submarines…

RAD Propulsion, a leader in electric marine propulsion systems, announced the expansion of its international dealer network with new strategic partnerships in the Netherlands, India and Japan. Energyboats will serve as RAD's official dealer in the Netherlands, focusing specifically on the Benelux region. Energyboats specializes exclusively in 100 percent electrically powered boats and works only with manufacturers that take the electric motor as their starting point. "In our view…

IHI Corporation and Royal Vopak have signed a joint development agreement under which IHI and Vopak plan to establish a new joint venture. Taking into account the ongoing progress of domestic infrastructure development within the country, IHI and Vopak plan to participate in projects for the development and operation of an ammonia terminal in Japan, aiming to start operations in the Japanese fiscal year 2030, focusing on the development of safe and efficient ammonia storage and…

Imabari Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., JFE Holdings, Inc. and IHI Corporation reached an agreement under which Imabari Shipbuilding will acquire a portion of the shares of Japan Marine United Corporation owned by JFE and IHI.Imabari Shipbuilding and JMU established a capital and business alliance and joint sales and design company, Nippon Shipyard, on January 1, 2021, to enhance the international competitiveness of both companies' commercial ship businesses. However, in light of the global market environment that is expected to become even more competitive in the future, Imabari Shipbuilding and JMU have determined that they need to further strengthen their competitiveness through further collaboration…

Opening Ceremony sets the tone for a pivotal three-day event focused on global cooperation,  diversified supply, and pragmatic climate solutions  Global CEO Panel featuring JERA, TotalEnergies, and Woodside underscores LNG’s role in energy  security and decarbonisation  Delegates from over 50 countries convene at Tokyo Big Sight to chart the course for a secure, sustainable energy futureThe Japan Energy Summit & Exhibition 2025 officially opened today at Tokyo Big  Sight, welcoming energy leaders, policymakers, and innovators from across the global energy value chain.

JERA’s major U.S. LNG supply deal sets the stage for Japan Energy Summit & Exhibition 2025, taking place 18 – 20 June in Tokyo, with live commentary expected from JERA’s Global CEO and METI during the Opening Ceremony.The Strategic Summit will feature top executives from Shell, TotalEnergies, and Linde, alongside government leaders, addressing global energy stability, LNG diversification, and clean fuel investments.With over 100 exhibitors and sponsors, and high-level sessions including the LNG Producer-Consumer Conference and Climatetech Theatre…

One of the world's biggest liquefied natural gas suppliers, QatarEnergy, is in talks with Japanese firms for a long-term deal to supply LNG from its North Field expansion project, five trading and industry sources told Reuters.Under the deal, Qatar would supply a consortium of Japanese importers, and a volume of at least 3 million metric tons per annum of gas would be split between them, four of the sources said.If agreed, it would help to confirm Doha's decades-old dominance of the Japanese market…

Japan's Ishiba signals increasing corn imports as part of US trade talksJapanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on signalled that increasing corn imports from the U.S. would be among options in trade negotiations with Washington, but warned Japan would never sacrifice its agriculture industry to win lower auto tariffs.Japan has made little headway in two rounds of trade talks with the U.S. as it seeks exemptions from U.S. tariffs, including a crippling 25% tariff on its mainstay automobiles.During the first round of talks last month, U.S.

Japan is world’s third largest shipping nation as owners control 12% of the fleet“Combined, Japanese shipowners currently own 12% of the global fleet’s deadweight tonnes capacity (DWT). This makes Japan the third largest shipowning country in the world and one of only three countries where shipowners control more than 10% of the global fleet’s DWT capacity,” says Niels Rasmussen, Chief Shipping Analyst at BIMCO.The global fleet of 2.4tn DWT is owned by 16,622 shipowners in 178 countries.

Most countries in the Group of Seven nations are prepared to go it alone and lower the G7 price cap on Russian oil even if U.S. President Donald Trump decides to opt out, four sources familiar with the matter said.G7 country leaders are due to meet on June 15-17 in Canada where they will discuss the price cap first agreed in late 2022. The cap was designed to allow Russian oil URL-E to be sold to third countries using Western insurance services provided the price was no more than…

For more than 120 years, Tsuneishi Shipbuilding has been a force in global shipbuilding, evolving from a small domestic enterprise into an internationally respected brand. Established in 1903 by Katsutaro Kambara, Tsuneishi's journey mirrors the broader industrial and economic transformations of Japan and the maritime world itself.Kambara's initial venture, Kambara Kisen Co., Ltd., was focused on shipping operations. By 1917, the company established its own construction and repair facility, Shiohama Dockyard, at the site of today's Tsuneishi Factory.

NAVTOR is continuing to build momentum for its "Digital Logbook revolution" as Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) has awarded full flag state approval for the innovative solution. Japan joins other leading shipping nations such as Panama, Liberia, Marshall Islands, Malta, Cyprus and Singapore, amongst others, in endorsing the IMO compliant offering for registered vessels.Instead of crewmembers having to handwrite submissions into standalone…

Japan is likely to sweeten terms for developers to build a massive offshore wind farm sector, industry insiders say, as it looks to put its energy ambitions back on track against a worldwide slump of projects hit by soaring costs and delays.The government aims to have 45 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2040, which is essential to cutting the country's dependence on imported coal and gas for power generation, reducing its carbon emissions and bolstering national security.But its plans have stalled following three major rounds of auctions to develop capacity.