Japan’s three largest shipowners, Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL), NYK Line, and K Line, have launched a joint initiative to donate a new large-scale training vessel to the Japan Agency of Maritime Education and Training for Seafarers (JMETS).

The move is aimed at addressing a growing set of challenges facing JMETS, including aging vessels, reduced onboard training time, and a shortage of instructors and qualified crew. The donation is being organised with the support of the Japanese Shipowners’ Association and is intended to reinforce Japan’s maritime training infrastructure.

The vessel, which is expected to be delivered around 2030, would help secure the long-term development of skilled Japanese seafarers and ensure continuity in maritime education. It would also support reforms outlined in a recent study by Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), which highlighted issues around funding, training duration, and student diversity on existing ships.

JMETS currently operates eight maritime schools and a fleet of five large training vessels. However, much of the infrastructure is aging, and recent cost pressures—particularly fuel—have reduced at-sea training days.

The shipping companies and JMETS will jointly define the technical specifications of the vessel and start talks with shipyards in the coming months.

“We sincerely hope that JMETS’s reforms will progress steadily based on the MLIT study group’s report, and that our donation of this training ship will contribute to the healthy and stable development of training and securing highly skilled Japanese seafarers,” the three companies said in a joint statement.