World seaborne trade volumes are increasing rapidly in line with world economic growth. Especially in Japan, an island nation, marine transportation accounts for nearly 100% of imports and exports, of which around 60% is carried by Japanese merchant transportation vessels. Moreover, the transportation volume by Japanese merchant vessels on trilateral routes is increasing among Japanese companies expanding overseas business.
Source: SHIPPING NOW 2025–2026
Percentage of world tonnage handled
by Japanese merchant vessels
Japanese merchant vessels account for around 7%.
Japan contributes to world economy as a shipping nation.
World tonnage (Including Japanese merchant vessels)
: 1,664.0 million gross ton
Tonnage carried by Japanese merchant vessels
: 121.62 million gross ton
Source: SHIPPING NOW 2025–2026
Percentage of Japan’s foreign trade handled
by marine transportation
Marine transportation accounts for nearly 100% of Japan’s imports/exports
Source: SHIPPING NOW 2025–2026
“K” LINE is a first-class integrated logistics company in the world grown from the shipping business. We own and operate various types of vessels to correspond to the world’s marine transportation needs.
Source:LSEG Workspace
Since its foundation, “K” LINE has provided transportation services and developed and operated various types of vessels required by customers with world economic development. As of March 31, 2025, we operate around 448 vessels worldwide.
“K” LINE Group Operating Revenues by Segment
FY2024 Consolidated Operating Revenues
¥1,048 billion
“K” LINE Group Vessels in Operation
As of FY2024 total 448 vessels
In the Dry Bulk business, we offer a global transportation service for dry bulk cargoes such as steelmaking raw materials, bauxite, steel products, paper raw materials, grains, and coal etc. We actively engage in the transportation of cargoes not only bound for Japan but also for South Korea, China, India, and the Middle East, as well as in triangular trade in the Atlantic region. The Dry Bulk Business Unit is taking on the challenge of decarbonization by exploring low-carbon solutions, including wind propulsion and alternative fuels such as biofuels, LNG, methanol, and ammonia.
In the LNG Carrier Business, we offer global transportation of LNG, a fuel source for which demand is increasing worldwide, and provide service to customers with diversifying needs across the LNG value chain. In the Liquefied Gas Business, alongside the important transportation of liquefied CO2 as one of the practical solutions for achieving net zero, we are also focusing on further enhancing transport of other liquefied gases, such as LPG and ammonia, which are expected to see market growth and contribute to decarbonization of society.
Our main area of business is transporting thermal coal from Australia and Indonesia to Japan for use by domestic power utility companies in coal-fired power plants. Our wide-beam bulk carriers developed for transporting thermal coal for power generation have become the basic type for the transport of coal, and thanks to our “Corona Series” of wide-beam carriers, we can provide safe and flexible services that meet the specific coal transportation needs of electric power utility companies.
The Crude Oil and Product Business has developed a global business for customers both in Japan and overseas who transport crude oil, and we are participating in a drillship project off Brazil and a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) system off Brazil and Ghana. In addition, we procure bunker fuel (heavy oil, marine diesel oil, LNG, biofuel, etc.) for vessels that will be allocated all over the world.
In the Fuel business, we are engaged in next generation fuel supply business such as LNG and ammonia, and we are looking into liquefied hydrogen transportation vessels. Meanwhile, we are engaged in a variety of vessels which is essential to install and maintain offshore wind projects including support vessels, transportation vessels and geo-survey vessels. Through such new business field, we are contributing to reduce environmental impacts for future generations.
Since developing and introducing Japan’s first pure car carrier (PCC) in 1970, we have continued to provide high-quality transportation service globally. In addition, to flexibly respond to diversifying needs, we will also strengthen our High & Heavy (high and heavy cargoes such as construction machinery, agricultural machinery, and railway cars) transportation.The LNG-fueled car carrier which has been introduced since the 2020 fiscal year, will be expanded to a total of 13 vessels by the 2025 fiscal year, promoting a response to customer needs for reducing environmental impact.
We provide comprehensive logistics services to meet various customer needs for ocean cargo transportation as well as air cargo transportation, tugboats, land transportation, warehousing, and automotive logistics, including storage, processing, and transportation of finished vehicles. In addition, we operate car carrier termimnals and container terminals at four ports in Japan–Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, and Kobe.
Kawasaki Kinkai Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. operates a wide variety of vessels, such as coastal vessels to/from Asia, including fuel transport for biomass power plants; RORO vessels and ferries to promote modal shifts in Japan; and dedicated limestone carriers for steel and dedicated coal carriers for electric power. We also began offshore support vessel operations around Japan to further enhance the business.
In April 2018, the containership businesses of three Japanese shipping companies were integrated to form a new company, ONE. As of March 31, 2025, ONE operates a containership fleet of over 263 vessels (2.01 million TEU). Through our extensive service network covering more than 120 countries worldwide, we provide reliable and prompt international transportation services.
For more details, please refer to the Ocean Network Express (ONE) website.
