Japanmax Design Boosts Coastal Feeder Traffic

The 142m vessel was delivered by Kyokuyo Shipyard Corporation in May, as the first of three sister newbuilds initially destined for export. Kobe-based Imoto, attributed with a 60% share of Japan’s domestic feeder market, purchased the trio soon after the completion and handover of the Kiso (then named A Washiba) to the original Chinese contractual interests.

Kiso is the latest example of Kyokuyo’s Japanmax concept, which has found wide acceptance both in the home market and among shipowners and operators throughout east and south east Asia. Over the years, the cargo intake has been progressively raised, while retaining broadly the same length and other dimensions, and while keeping the gross tonnage below 10,000t.

At 1,096TEU, the new ship denotes a substantial upscaling in domestic feeder capability, as the highest slot capacity hitherto offered in coastwise transportation has been in the 600-670TEU range. Imoto’s investment in the latest Japanmax generation thereby denotes another building block in Japanese endeavours not only to secure greater scale economies in the coastal traffic, but also to achieve a modal shift in goods movement, from road to sea.

Following a ceremony in Kobe, the Kiso made her debut with Imoto in early June on the route linking Yokohama with Tomakomai, on Hokkaido, and Sendai, in northern Honshu. The second and third newbuild acquisitions are scheduled to be commissioned in August and November this year, respectively.

Kiso is powered by a two-stroke diesel engine of the S46ME-C type from the MAN portfolio, produced under licence by the Hitachi Zosen Corporation affiliate IMEX Co of Onomichi, in Hiroshima prefecture. The six-cylinder model specified is rated for an output of 7,300kW at 129rpm, and should ensure a maximum speed of about 18 knots.

IMEX supplies propulsion engines, notably 400mm- and 350mm-bore ME-series machinery, to many of Japan’s smaller yards. The new ship’s auxiliary outfit features four gensets yielding a combined 2,400kVA.

Located at Shimonoseki, on the Kanmon Strait at the western end of the Seto Inland Sea, Kyokuyo is a respected, privately-owned builder of the smaller types of merchant vessel, with a diversified production and track record encompassing reeferships, small gas tankers, and vehicle carriers as well as feederships and other types.

Kyokuyo’s Shimonoseki yard is no stranger to Imoto, being the cradle of the line’s innovative series of 670TEU containerships which set a new benchmark in efficiency per containerised cargo unit in coastwise trade when first introduced eight years ago. A distinctive feature is the builder’s semi-spherical bow, forward superstructure and bridge, claimed to cut frontal wind resistance by 30%.

The design was initially implemented in the 2015-delivered Natori, followed in 2018 by the Nagara, with third-of-class Nogami having joined the fleet last year. Enhancements embodied by the Nogami include a gate rudder system, and new elements of the accommodation spaces such as special provision for female crew members and a dedicated, large training room, addressing today’s challenges in attracting youngsters into the Japanese coastal shipping sector.