11/05/2026
On May 10, 2026, the renowned Japanese cruise ship Nippon Maru returned to Yokohama Port to mark the official end of its 35-year career. Operated by a subsidiary of the shipping firm Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd., the vessel completed a final three-day Pacific voyage before being greeted by cheering fans and crew families at the terminal. Since its debut in 1990, the 22,472-ton ship carried approximately 600,000 passengers and traveled over 5.3 million kilometers, a distance equivalent to circling the globe 133 times.
Known as a pioneer of Japan’s luxury cruise industry, the ship was celebrated for its compact size, which allowed it to call at over 400 different ports worldwide. During a retirement ceremony, Captain Koichi Uchida expressed his gratitude to the ship and its guests for decades of shared memories and hospitality. While this specific vessel is retiring, its operators are currently working to expand their cruise business by introducing new ships to meet growing demand in Japan.
