The ferry business plays an important role in the marine transport between Hokkaido and Honshu. We have transporting cargos, cars and passengers by sea on the Hakodate to Aomori and Hakodate to Oma and Muroran to Aomori routes. We also lend ferries to the operators of the relevant routes on the Tomakomai to Hachinohe routes.

As we are entrusted with human safety and cargos, we are committed to operating our vessels with the utmost safety and security in mind through acquiring the International Safety Management Code (ISM Code) and introducing Japan’s first fire extinguishing plan. We have responded to environmental issues with the introduction of new ships to improve fuel efficiency and the use of LED lighting in the terminal. In addition, all ferries newly launched after the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake have been enhanced to provide useful functions such as emergency rooms and rooms for injured person(stretcher is available) when the disaster strikes again, such as housing for wounded people, water supply and electricity supply to shores. Furthermore, we are participating a joint training with DMATs (Disaster Medical Assistance Teams) to make a greater contribution to society.

As an important social logistics infrastructure for tourism and logistics between Hokkaido and Honshu, we aim to be a company that can contribute to the revitalization and development of the Tsugaru Kaikyo area, and will continue to develop our business with a focus on contributing to the local community.

We have provided high-speed vessels to the Ministry of Defense in the form of a yearly readiness (standby) contract since 2014. This contract was initiated in response to a request from the Ministry of Defense to transport emergency supplies when the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake happened in 2011. It is to have a “standby” system in place ready to sail within 72 hours of receiving a request.

The Ministry of Defense is also working to strengthen its high-speed transportation capacity under emergency situations and since 2016. We have been providing our high-speed vessels to the Ministry of Defense under a Private Financial Initiative (PFI) contract which enables the maintenance of stable and long-term transportation capability, not as a yearly contract. This is the first PFI for ships in Japan. In this form of multi-purpose ship business, we are doing our best to contribute our ships, knowledge, and know-how to the national disaster prevention policy. Also, during the contract period, the vessels can be used by private sectors, allowing them utilize our ships for regional developments and disaster prevention measures in various parts of Japan. We are making a difference and further contributions to society.

In our logistics business, we have established a nationwide network system mainly for trailer transport cargo between Hokkaido and Honshu; The business is not only for shipping cargo but also for local transport within Hokkaido, Honshu, and other areas. We also focus on environmental and safety initiatives such as obtaining G-mark and Green management certification, and aim to achieve a high quality and high value transportation system while fulfilling our social responsibilities.

Cooperating with our ferry business, this logistics business enables us to provide services with a high level of customer satisfaction and makes a significant contribution to logistics between Hokkaido and Honshu.