News

Hirai Line has taken delivery of a newly built 13,500 MT cargo vessel, which joined our fleet in 2026. Built at a shipyard in Japan, she is a state-of-the-art geared bulk carrier able to work cargo with her own cranes. Under a time charter with a Japanese shipping company, she will carry steel products, biomass and other cargoes, mainly on Southeast Asian routes. This brings our cargo vessel fleet to six and our total fleet to eleven. We will continue to deliver the logistics that support industries in our region and around the world — safely and reliably.

Hirai Line has acquired a 5,000 CBM LPG tanker, which joined our fleet in August 2026. Built in Japan in 2010, the vessel is purpose-built to carry liquefied petroleum gases such as butane and propane. Under a bareboat charter, she will support energy transport on routes around the world. This brings our LPG tanker fleet to two vessels and our total fleet to ten. We will continue to deliver the energy that homes and industries depend on — safely and reliably.

Hirai Line has acquired a 28,000 DWT bulk carrier, which joined our fleet in May 2026. Built in 2010 by Imabari Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., she is a geared handysize bulk carrier able to work cargo with her own cranes. Carrying coal, cement, ore and grain, she connects ports around the world. The vessel is jointly owned with a trusted partner through a Limited Partnership Scheme (LPS). By embracing diverse forms of ownership, we will keep strengthening our fleet and building a stable business foundation.

Hirai Line's President & CEO, Shinko Hirai, was interviewed for the "Goroku Sairoku" column of Japan Maritime Daily (Nippon Kaiji Shimbun), published on August 17, 2026. The article covers our decision to relocate the head office from Saiki, where the company was founded, to Oita City in June 2026 — the year of our 80th anniversary. Oita City brings together diverse talent and information and is easy to reach from the airport, making it simpler for customers from outside the prefecture to visit. The move was made with our long-term growth in mind. About four minutes by car from Oita Station, the new head office was designed to be "a place where people gather, like a harbor," with a warm interior and parking for around ten cars. If you are ever in Oita, please feel free to drop by. The article is available on the Japan Maritime Daily website (in Japanese; a subscription may be required).

Eighty years since our founding. The voyage that began with a single wooden vessel has reached a new harbor today, June 1, 2026 — Kanaike-machi, Oita City. Just steps from JR Oita Station, this new office was designed to be a port of its own — a place where customers, partners and colleagues can gather. Beyond the windows, the streets of Oita and the calm sea — the landscape where our next story begins. Unchanging trust, and a new spirit of challenge. We look forward to your continued support of Hirai Line.

We wanted to share more of who we are with you — and so we rebuilt our corporate website from the ground up. Eighty years of history. A promise carried across four generations. The everyday landscape of ocean shipping. The story that began with a single wooden vessel is now told carefully, in images and words. We have also reorganized our careers and contact pathways so that everything is easier to reach. Please take your time and explore the new Hirai Line.