The NYK Group has achieved a historic result at Japan’s “Best Quality Ship 2025” awards, with four of its managed vessels selected simultaneously, a first for the group since the award’s inception in 2003.
The honoured vessels included the coal carrier Pirika Moshiri Maru (52,158 GT), VLCC Takaoka (158,218 GT), bulk carrier Global Coral (27,460 GT) and cruise ship Asuka III (52,265 GT), operated and managed across NYK Group companies.
The annual award, administered by the Japan Federation of Pilots’ Associations, recognises vessels boarded by pilots across Japanese pilotage districts during September and October.
No more than 10 ships are selected each year following assessments of pilot boarding and disembarkation facilities, Bridge Resource Management training standards, and the coherence of onboard command systems.
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The breadth of vessel types recognised this year, dry bulk, tanker, and passenger, reflects the operational consistency NYK maintains across a diversified fleet.
For a shipping group managing vessels across multiple asset classes and third-party management entities, uniform performance across safety and crew management disciplines is a considerable undertaking.
NYK has indicated it will continue prioritising collaboration with pilots and maritime stakeholders as part of its broader commitment to vessel quality and safe operations.
For more information:
Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha – https://www.nyk.com/english/
