Christening and launch ceremony of new Kitakami vessel. Credit: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.

Japan-based Mitsubishi Shipbuilding has launched Taiheiyo Ferry’s new vessel Kitakami at Enoura Plant, operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) unit Shimonoseki Shipyard & Machinery Works.

Scheduled to be delivered by next January, Kitakami will replace Taiheiyo Ferry’s one of the three large ships providing regular service between the Nagoya, Sendai, and Tomakomai ports in Japan.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

The 14,000t vessel will also eliminate the large shared cabin design of the existing vessel, as well as offer privacy and improved comfort to the passengers.

Featuring eight storeys, Kitakami will be 192.5m-long and 27m-wide.

“Kitakami is also expected to offer a 10% increase in energy-efficiency compared to the vessel it will replace.”

The vessel’s decks will be placed between the first and fifth storeys, with a capacity to carry 166 trucks and 146 passenger cars.

Its sixth and seventh storeys will be designed to accommodate 535 passengers, several cabins, a restaurant and a public bath offering outside views.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Kitakami will carry a bridge and space for the crew on its eighth floor.

Representing the sixth vessel developed by Kitakami for Taiheiyo Ferry, Kitakami features the ‘Space Travel’ design concept that aims to increase the joy of ship travel experience.

According to Mitsubishi, in accordance with the ferry’s journey time that usually starts in the evening and ends in the morning, 11 cabin types have been created to replicate travel through a star-studded sky.

Apart from the private cabins, all rooms replacing the previous large shared cabins will include capsule-type beds.

Kitakami is also expected to offer a 10% increase in energy-efficiency compared to the vessel it will replace.

Vessel construction has been subsidised under a joint programme of Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI); and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT).