Leading ports based on the volume of sea freight throughput in Japan 2022

Japan is geographically divided into four main islands and has an inland sea, providing ideal circumstances for maritime transportation. Currently, freight transport by sea is the second-largest mode of cargo transport in terms of freight volume in Japan. In 2022, Nagoya was the leading port based on sea freight volume throughput, with approximately 163 million metric tons handled. The port is classified as an International Hub Port by Japanese law and is highly relevant to the Japanese automobile industry.

Shipbuilding business

Japan’s high demand for ships has led to a strong shipbuilding industry. Japan is one of the global players in the shipbuilding industry, next to China and South Korea. Shipyards produce various types of ships for freight transport and passenger transport. Maritime transportation in Japan is thriving. Several thousand coastal transportation vessels, and a few thousand passenger transportation ships, currently operate on domestic routes. Leading shipbuilding companies include Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Mitsui E&S Holdings, and others.

Leading sea ports

Several key performance indicators to rank sea ports exist. Regarding trade, the port of Chiba is at the forefront of freight imports, while the port of Nagoya is leading in freight exports. Itsukushima, situated in the inland sea, is first in the number of passenger arrivals.