1923-1949
From creation to war
In April 1923, the first Kinkai Yusen Co., Ltd. was established with a capital of 11 million yen, separating the nearby sea and domestic divisions of Nippon Yusen Co., Ltd. The company owns 22 vessels, 54,522 gross tons.
When it was founded, the routes inherited from Nippon Yusen Co., Ltd. were Kobe/Otaru, Kobe/Kushiro, Yokohama/Ogasawara, Yokohama/Sakhalin, Otaru/Sakhalin, Hakodate/Abashiri/Kichishima, Hakodate/Sakhalin, Kobe/Atane, and more. After that, overcame numerous difficulties such as the Great Kanto Earthquake and the financial depression, they entered irregular sectors in the north such as Northern wood and Sakhalin coal, and expanded Taiwanese routes to the south, and launched the Fujimaru, the highest standard passenger ship at the time.
From 1935 to 1939, it grew to become Japan's third largest liner company, just after Nippon Yusen and Osaka Shopping.
The Sino-Japanese War broke out in 1937, and with the signing of the Tripartite Alliance of Japan, Germany and Italy in the same year, trade gradually declined in the face of economic blockades by the United States, Britain, and the Netherlands, and the active waters of Japan's ocean routes were reduced.
Under these circumstances, Kinkai Yusen Co., Ltd. was once again merged with Nippon Yusen Co., Ltd. in 1939. In June 1943, under the extreme extreme of the Pacific War, Japan's maritime transport capacity was extremely tight, and under the government's guidance, Yusen Konomi Co., Ltd. was established with the aim of ensuring the maritime transport capacity through wooden sailing ships. The company has been involved in transporting coal, limestone and fertilizers between coastal ports in the country, coal and rice between the homeland and the Korean Peninsula, and oil transporting further south.
In the two years leading up to the end of the war in August 1945, 61 vessels, a three-quarter of all vessels, were lost, and many crew members and staff were lost.
1949-1988
The period of growth in the Showa era
After the war ended, in July 1949, Yusen Konoumi Kisen Co., Ltd. was dissolved in accordance with the Corporate Reconstruction and Improvement Act, and the second company, Kinkai Yusen Co., Ltd. was established.
The company inherited the company name and flag of the former Kinkai Yusen Co., Ltd., and aimed to expand the business sector in nearby areas using steel ships.
1989 - present
Entering the Heisei era
In October 2003, Kinkai Yusen Logistics Co., Ltd. was established with a 100% investment from Nippon Yusen, and in December of the same year, the company was transferred to the regular route business and integrated transportation business of the former Kinkai Yusen . At the same time, the trademarks and funnel marks of the long-established " Kinkai Yusen " and "KYKLINE" and "KYKLINE" have been handed over.
This has led to a shipping company that operates a large number of RORO ships, providing services from Hokkaido to Okinawa, and has continued to this day. In 2013, the company name was changed to Kinkai Yusen Co., Ltd., and the company continues to operate with its old-fashioned name and history.
In addition, they have entrusted the company's ship management and ride-on operations to Kinkai Yusen Ship Management Co., Ltd., and transferred operations in the Hokkaido area to Kinkai Yusen Hokkaido Co., Ltd. (formerly Yusen Kushiro Transport Co., Ltd.), and have been working to establish a system that includes affiliates and expand services.
History
July 1949
After the war ended, Yusen Konoumi Kisen Co., Ltd. was dissolved in accordance with the Corporate Reconstruction and Improvement Act, and the second company was established Kinkai Yusen Co., Ltd. The company inherited the company name and flag of the former Kinkai Yusen Co., Ltd., and aimed to expand the business sector in nearby areas using steel ships.
September 1949
By privatizing small steel ships, the cargo ship "Fujimaru" began self-employed.
April 1950
With the private return of large ships, the Yoshinomaru began its own operation, and the cargo ship Toyoshiromaru was launched as the first cement-only vessel equipped with a pressure-type loading device in Japan.
August 1953
We have started irregular shipment delivery to Taiwan.
April 1954
We have begun shipping South Sea wood from the Philippines.
October 1968
We have begun transporting Northern Ocean wood from the former Soviet Union.
April 1969
The company took over the management of all domestic and nearby sea routes of Nippon Yusen Co., Ltd., and with the succession of its scheduled charter and contracted ships, the number of vessels operated by the company has reached 61,412 gross tons.
April 1970
The first RORO ship, Hokutomaru, has been newly built and has launched its service on the Osaka/Tomakomai route.
July 1972
Car ferries Marimo and Mashi were launched between Tokyo and Kushiro, and later increased the number of Saroma, making it a daily service.
September 1975
We have started container feeder service in Tokyo/Otaru. (Kiyozaki Maru)
April 1980
We have been entrusted with the operations of automobile transport to Southeast Asia from Nippon Yusen Co., Ltd.
April 1983
We have started a car transportation business (currently a freight transportation business).
May 1990
The car ferry between Tokyo and Kushiro has been replaced with new Sabrina and Blue Zephyr. We have started container filed services in Keihin/Sendai. (Showa Maru)
September 1993
A CGC ship has been launched between Nagoya and Hakata as a vessel dedicated to automobile parts.
April 1997
The car ferry route between Tokyo and Kushiro has been changed to Tokyo/Kushiro/Tokachi.
July 1998
We have launched a large limestone dedicated ship and expanded the dedicated ship division.
May 1999
With the opening of Hitachinaka Port in Ibaraki Prefecture, the Osaka/Tomakomai route has been changed to Osaka/Hitachinaka/Tomakomai.
November 1999
We have suspended the car ferry route in Tokyo/Kushiro/Tokachi, and have launched a large RORO ship as an alternative ship into the Tokyo/Kushiro route, specializing in cargo transport.
February 2000
A new RORO type dedicated to paper rewinding has been built and has been put into Tokyo/Tomakomai.
July 2001
The Hitachinaka port calls on the Osaka/Hitachinaka/Tomakomai route have been cancelled, and the Hitachinaka/Tomakomai route has been opened, and joint operation with Kawasaki Kinkai Kisen Co., Ltd. has begun.
June 2002
The Osaka/Tomakomai route has been abolished and the Tsuruga/Tomakomai route has been opened. This has greatly streamlined transportation between Hanshin, Chukyo and Hokkaido.
July 2002
The Osaka/Naha route has been changed to Tokyo/Osaka/Naha, and joint operation with Ryukyu Shipping Co., Ltd. has begun using the space exchange method.
December 2002
A newly constructed container ship "Harukaze" has launched on the Keihin/Sendai route.
October 2003
The new Kinkai Yusen Logistics Co., Ltd. was established with a 100% investment from Nippon Yusen, and in December of the same year, the company was transferred to the regular route business and integrated transportation business of the former Kinkai Yusen . At the same time, the trademarks and funnel marks of the long-established " Kinkai Yusen " and "KYKLINE" and "KYKLINE" have been handed over.
October 2003
Kinkai Yusen Logistics Co., Ltd. was established with a 100% investment from Nippon Yusen Co., Ltd.
December 2003
We have received sales transfer from Kinkai Yusen Co., Ltd. for regular routes and integrated transportation businesses. At the same time, the Tokyo/Tomakomai route was opened.
April 2008
We have renamed "Yushin Kushiro Transport Co., Ltd." to " Kinkai Yusen Hokkaido Co., Ltd.", and have outsourced our business in the Hokkaido area.
August 2008
Ship management work has been entrusted to Kinyusen Ship Management Co., Ltd.
August 2009
Two ships per day have been set for the Hitachinaka/Tomakomai route, a joint navigation route with Kawasaki Kinkai Kisen Co., Ltd.
March 2011
The Great East Japan Earthquake occurred. Although our ports were severely damaged, we changed the Hitachinaka/Tomakomai route to the Kawasaki/Tomakomai route on a limited basis, maintaining the function of supporting logistics in Honshu and Hokkaido, contributing to support reconstruction.
April 2013
Our title has been changed to " Kinkai Yusen Co., Ltd.".
2015
Three new RORO ships, Hidaka, Tsuruga, and Hokuto, have been launched on the Tsuruga/Tomakomai route.
2018
Two new RORO ships, Marimo and Mashi, have launched on the Hitachinaka/Tomakomai route.
April 2019
The Tsuruga/Hakata route has been opened. It has been connected from Hokkaido to Kyushu via Tsuruga, and transportation between Kyushu/Hanshin/Chukyo/Hokkaido has been streamlined.
July 2022
The new RORO ship "Shuri" has launched on the Tokyo/Osaka/Naha route.
- What is Kinkai Yusen ?
- The History of Kinkai Yusen