Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, held a christening and launch ceremony on October 9 for the second of two large car ferries ordered by Shinnihonkai Ferry Co., Ltd. and Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency (JRTT). The ceremony took place at the Enoura Plant of MHI’s Shimonoseki Shipyard & Machinery Works in Yamaguchi Prefecture. The new ferry will serve on a shipping route between the cities of Otaru in Hokkaido and Maizuru in Kyoto Prefecture.
At the ceremony, Shinnihonkai Ferry President Yasuo Iritani christened the new ferry “HAMANASU,” the Japanese word for a species of native shrub rose. The ceremonial rope cut was performed by Nozomi Kobayashi, ship travel ambassador for the Japan Passengerboat Association. The ship’s handover is scheduled for June 2026 following completion of outfitting work and sea trials. The HAMANASU is the tenth ferry built by Mitsubishi Shipbuilding for Shinnihonkai Ferry.
HAMANASU uses a multitude of energy-saving vessel design options, including being one of the second ferries in Japan to incorporate a buttock-flow stern hull and a ducktail, along with a Katana bow. Propulsion resistance is suppressed by an energy-saving roll-damping system combining an anti-rolling tank and fin stabilizers, providing energy savings of 5% compared to conventional ships.
The christening and launch ceremony for the first ship ordered by Shinnihonkai Ferry and JRTT, named KEYAKI, was held in April 2025, with handover scheduled for November.
