1919

  • Established as Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd.

 

1941

  • At the start of World War ll, owned 36 ships, 260,108 deadweight tons.

 

1945

  • At the end of World War ll, owned 12 ships, 31,111 deadweight tons.

 

Salvaged the KIYOKAWA MARU
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Salvaged the KIYOKAWA MARU

1948

  • The rebuilding of the company fleet began when salvaged the New York liner KIYOKAWA MARU, sunk during the war.

 

1951

  • The Japan / Bangkok liner route was established as the first step toward resumption of service. Since then, other principal liner routes were reopened or established swiftly.

 

1957

  • Work on developing an oil tanker fleet was begun with the building of the FUJIKAWA MARU.

 

1960

  • Work on developing a specialized carrier fleet was begun with the building of the ore carrier FUKUKAWA MARU (the first-generation).

 

1964

  • Merged with Iino Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. to become the core company of the Kawasaki Kisen Group, capitalized at 9 billion yen.

 

1968

  • “K” LINE's 1st full containership GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE put into the Japan / California service route.
  • Started the Japan / Europe liner route with Maersk Line of Denmark.
  • Work on developing a specialized car carrier fleet was begun with the car / bulk carrier TOYOTA MARU NO. 1.

 

1969

  • Service with containerships began on Japan / South East Australia route with Australia’s state-owned company ANL.
TOYOTA MARU NO.10
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TOYOTA MARU NO.10

1970

  • Service with containerships began on Japan /North Pacific Coast route.
  • Japan's first PCC (Pure Car Carrier) TOYOTA MARU NO.10 was completed.

 

1971

  • International Transportation Service, Inc. was established as the company's overseas container terminal in Long Beach, California.

 

1972

  • Service with containerships began on the Japan-Far East / New York route.

 

1974

  • Joined the Far Eastern Freight Conference.

 

1975

  • The ACE Group established with five overseas shipping companies as a consortium for the joint operations of containerships on the Japan-Far East / Europe route.
Japan’s first LNG carrier BISHU MARU
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Japan’s first LNG carrier BISHU MARU

1983

  • Japan's first LNG carrier BISHU MARU went into service under our management.

 

1986

  • Terminated the consortium with four Japanese shipping companies for Japan-Far East/California route and started an independent service. Began operation of an exclusive Double Stack Train (DST) linking Long Beach, Chicago, and New York.
  • Left the consortium with five Japanese shipping companies for Japan-Far East / New York route and established a new round-the-world service with two overseas shipping companies.

 

1988

  • Terminated the consortium with two Japanese shipping companies for Japan-Far East / North America North West Coast route and started an independent service.

 

1989

  • Reorganized the ACE Group on the Europe route, switched to a consortium with two overseas shipping companies, replaced all with high-speed large vessels.

 

1991

  • In conjunction with the establishment of a dedicated DST network in North America, all Japan-Far East / New York water service was suspended.

 

1993

  • “K” LINE Re-engineering (K.R.) Program started.
  • “K” Line Maritime Training Corporation established in Manila.
  • Contracts signed for building and chartering seven LNG carriers under the Qatar gas project.
“CORONA ACE”
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“CORONA ACE”

1994

  • Newly-built wide-beam / shallow-draft coal carrier CORONA ACE for the transport of thermal coal was put into service.

 

1995

  • Listed Kawasaki Kinkai Kisen Kaisha, a subsidiary, on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

 

1996

  • Joint ship assignment with the Yang Ming Line of Taiwan started on the North America and Europe routes.

 

1997

  • Trans-Atlantic Container Service (TASCO) was jointly established with China COSCO Shipping, with the participation of Yang Ming Line.

 

1999

  • Car Carrier Department / “K” Line Marine Data Service (current KMDS), Tokyo Acceptance and Delivery Center received ISO9002.

 

2000

  • New Containership services for Asia / North America East Coast, Asia / Mediterranean, and Mediterranean / North America East Coast commenced, which completed our trunk service routes linking west and east.
  • Our subsidiary of Taiyo Kaiun Kabushiki Kaisha merged with Kobe Nippon Kisen Kaisha, Ltd., and Taiyo Nippon Kisen Co., Ltd. was established. Reorganization of our subsidiary companies for ship management and administration was completed.

 

2001

  • The company's first 300,000 dwt double-hulled VLCC KUMANOGAWA was completed.
  • Established Training Center for Dangerous Cargo Carriers within “K” LINE Training Center, Tokyo with three port cargo handling simulators for LNG carriers / LPG carriers / oil tankers.
  • Released “K” LINE Group's Environmental Policy.
  • “K” Line Pte Ltd started its operation as our shipping subsidiary company in Singapore.
  • Over-panamax containership GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE was built at Hyundai Heavy Industries, Ulsan.
  • Five companies of “K” LINE, COSCO, Yang Ming, Hanjin, and Senator Lines (Hanjin-Senator) agreed to develop business alliance.
  • Reached an agreement with a Norway’s state-owned oil company, Statoil, for the charter of LNG carriers for its Snohvit LNG Project.

 

2002

  • Launched Europe / Asia / North America West Coast pendulum service with 5,500TEU-type containerships.
  • Acquired ISO 14001 certification in recognition of Environmental Management System from Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (NK).
  • Established a new company “K” Line Total Logistics, LLC (KLTL) to enhance “K” LINE Group’s logistic business.
  • Established “K” Line (Japan) Ltd. to split-up and strengthen cargo collection business for containerships in Japan.

 

2003

  • Started its own shortsea complete built-up car carrier services, established “K” Line European Sea Highway Services GmbH (KESS) and started its operation.
  • China participated in complete built-up car transport service. The Group established Orient Sea Highway Services Co., Ltd in Shanghai.

 

2004

  • Decided on building three new 300,000 dwt super large ore carriers.
  • Decided to build 145,000 msup{3} LNG carrier for J&S Cheniere S.A. The vessel will be our first solely owned and operated LNG carrier.
  • Decided to build two 38,000 msup{3} fully refrigerated Ammonia/LPG carriers for Yara International ASA, our first contracts for the type of gas carrier.

 

2005

  • Concluded a time charter agreement for three new 153,200 msup{3} LNG carriers for Tangguh LNG Project.
  • Construction of 5000 unit capacity car carrier SHANGHAI HIGHWAY was completed at NACKS. This is our first shipbuilding project in China.
  • “K” LINE, Yang Ming, Hanjin, and PSA HNN established a joint terminal company, Antwerp International Terminal NV in Antwerp, started operation in January 2006.
  • Concluded a long-term time charter contract with Exxon Mobil, the world biggest oil major, for VLCC completed in June 2007.

 

2006

  • A brand new 140,000 msup{3} type LNG carrier ARCTIC DISCOVERER for the Snohvit Project was completed.
  • “K” LINE LOGISTICS, LTD. was established by the merger of “K” Line Air Service, Ltd. and “K” Logistics, Ltd. for the unification of all air-sea logistics services.

 

2007

  • Established a representative office in India.
  • Established “K” Line Maritime Academy (India) to foster maritime technical personnel.
  • Established “K” LINE BRASIL LTDA, our subsidiary in Brazil.
  • Established K LINE OFF SHORE AS with C.H. Sorensen Management AS (CHSM) in Norway for investing in offshore support vessel business.

 

2008

  • Established “K” Line Maritime Academy in Philippines.
  • A giant en bloc deal for consecutive voyage charter with 10 vessels signed with JSW Group in India.
  • Our first "Unimax Ore"-300,000 dwt type ore carrier GRANDE PROGRESSO completed.
  • Commenced full-scale cold ironing operation (supplying shore-side electricity power to ships at berth) at the ITS Long Beach container terminal.

 

2009

  • Together with PSA Corporation and Nippon Yusen Kaisha, “K” LINE established Asia Automobile Terminal (Singapore) Private Limited for terminal operation exclusively for car carriers.
  • Established “K” Line RORO & Bulk Agencia Maritima Ltda, our own agency in Brazil, to strengthen its car carrier, bulk carrier and energy transportation businesses.
  • “K” LINE and four other companies jointly participated in a drillship project led by Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.  (“Petrobras”), a Brazilian state-owned oil company.

 

2010

  • ¥38.3 billion raised through the issuance of new shares in a public offering and third-party allotment.
  • Completed the KL BREVIKFJORD, the first large sized platform supply vessel owned and operated by K LINE OFFSHORE AS and the first offshore support vessel built by the “K” LINE Group.

 

2011

  • Our head office was relocated to Iino Building, 1-1, Uchisaiwaicho 2-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo.
  • Completed the ETESCO TAKATSUGU J, the first drillship in which “K” LINE participates to provide chartered service to Petrobras, a Brazilian state-owned oil company. The ship would be engaged in deep-water drilling service in a pre-salt field off the coast of Rio de Janeiro for a maximum of 20 years from April 2012.

 

2012

  • ¥20.8 billion raised through the issuance of new shares in a public offering.
  • Decided to order five 14,000-TEU containerships for the maintenance of existing containership fleets.

 

2013

  • Decided to order five 14,000 TEU large sized containerships.
  • Concluded a long-term time charter contract and shipbuilding contract for a new LNG carrier for Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc., the Group’s first independent order of an LNG carrier for deployment in Japan.
  • Concluded long-term time charter contracts with a subsidiary of INPEX CORPORATION (INPEX) and with a joint venture of INPEX and TOTAL subsidiaries for one new LNG carrier each, two carriers in total.
  • Decided to order eight next-generation car carrier vessels having capacity of 7,500 cars that realize reduction of environmental burdens through improved loading capacity and fuel efficiency.
  • Established a new company, “K” Line RORO Services Ltd., in charge of transport and collection of RORO cargo (such as construction equipment, farm machine, cargo loaded on mafi trailers), used cars and equipment.

 

2014

  • Launched the “DRIVE GREEN PROJECT” for pursuing conservation of energy and environment, and announced construction of one large car carrier with a capacity of 7,500 cars as its flagship.
  • Decided on making additional orders for two next-generation car carrier vessels.
  • “K” LINE and Ports America reached a deal on strategic partnership for North America West Coast terminal.
  • Decided to make additional orders for five 14,000 TEU large sized containerships.

 

2015

  • Established “K LINE Value for our Next Century” , a new five-year medium-term management plan, and revised our Corporate Principle and Vision for “K” LINE Group’s 100th anniversary coming in 2019.
  • Established the “K” LINE Environmental Vision 2050, “ Securing Blue Seas for Tomorrow,” as our long-term environmental management vision for the global environmental conservation toward 2050.
  • Completed the super-sized 14,000TEU container vessel MILLAU BRIDGE with the latest energy-saving technologies.
  • The first ship in the series of new design car carrier with a capacity of 7,500 cars, HAWAIIAN HIGHWAY was completed.
  • The first loading of railway vehicles for inter-city high speed train service for the United Kingdom was implemented at Kudamatsu Port in Yamaguchi Prefecture by our new design car carrier.

 

2016

  • “DRIVE GREEN HIGHWAY,” a next-generation environmental flagship, was completed.
  • Signed a contract with Nippon Yusen Kaisha and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. for the integration of containership business and overseas container terminal business.

2017

  • “K” LINE, along with Sumitomo Corporation, JGC Corporation and Development Bank of Japan Inc., entered into a contract for participation in the owning and chartering business for oil and gas floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) run by Yinson Holdings Berhad in an oil and gas field in offshore Ghana.
  • “K” LINE, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. and Nippon Yusen  Kaisha integrated their container shipping businesses and established the new container shipping company named Ocean Network Express Pte. Ltd.
  • “DRIVE GREEN HIGHWAY,” “K” Line’s next-generation eco-friendly flagship honored as “Ship of the Year 2016.”
  • “K” Line group introduces its own environmental management promotion system - "DRIVE GREEN NETWORK."