Author Topic: Shipspotting in Japan  (Read 12587 times)

Offline lappino

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Shipspotting in Japan
« on: February 08, 2016, 01:21:20 PM »
Hello everybody,

It's the Lunar New Year time, which means 5 days holiday, to be spent in Japan, touring the shipyards (mostly). Traveling - by trains (Japan Rail Pass) and occasional boat/ferry. Sleeping in cheap (and not so cheap) hotels.

Currently it's the end of Day 3, so let's see the results so far.

Day 1 saw me arriving in Osaka together with hordes of other tourists, which translates as 1.5 hours line at the immigration, and being 2 hours late for the train as initially planned. First shipspotting location is the Akashi bridge, with all its traffic bound to/from Kobe and Osaka. One of the best locations in Japan, except: the light was poor, and there were almost no ships to speak about. Oh well...

Train to Marugame on the Shikoku island, with its big Imabari yard. Night.

Day 2: Imabari yard has a couple of bulkers on display. The sun is on the right side, so all is cool. Train to the town of Imabari, taxi to the yard of the same name. The ships are so close there, you can almost touch them. Then continuing on a train to Matsuyama, to get on a ferry to Hiroshima. There was another yard along the way, Shin Kurushima, with a couple of new K Line car carriers, but the schedule did not allow for a stop...

Car ferry from Matsuyama to Hiroshima passes by Kure, with its JMU shipyard. I was expecting some crude oil tankers, but got 2 best looking big container vessels that I' ve ever seen, a couple of 14.000 TEU vessels for NYK. You can say something along the lines of "Seen one, seen them all", but still - it's all in the superstructure... :) Also, at a small Kegoya shipyard, there was one new small ferry for the Filipino owner.

Train from Hiroshima to Sasebo. Night.

Day 3: boat ride from Sasebo to Oshima island, with its Sumitomo shipyard, and another bunch of bulkers. One US nuclear sub returning to base reminded me that Sasebo has this important role...
Train to Nagasaki, to see whatever is going on with the Aidas, and (finally) catch the Prima afloat... Fail. AIDAprima is (again/still) in the dock, and the Mia looks like "find 10 differences" from the photos I took of her 3 months ago. Train to Hakata, to prepare for Shimonoseki tomorrow...and then we'll see.

I'll keep you posted, and expect couple of dozen photos here on the site.

And, my "wide" lens (Sigma 17-50 2.8 ) decided to become a 30-50 lens, the zoom ring refusing to go any lower. Good thing that the other one (70-200 1:4) is still OK... :)

Until later

Vlad
« Last Edit: February 08, 2016, 01:27:17 PM by lappino »

Offline Sinisa Aljinovic

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Re: Shipspotting in Japan
« Reply #1 on: February 08, 2016, 02:10:52 PM »
You had better to visit busy Kanmon strait from Shimonoseki or Moji and bridge next to Imabari.Nice vantage points from higher level.

Offline lappino

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Re: Shipspotting in Japan
« Reply #2 on: February 08, 2016, 02:24:29 PM »
Kanmon is my usual spot, even the locals know me there. :) Morning time Moji side, afternoon Shimonoseki side, with occasional trip to Ganryujima island. 

I plan to go there tomorrow.

Thanks for the tip on Imabari bridge. :)

Cheers/Pozdrav

Vlad

Offline lappino

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Re: Shipspotting in Japan
« Reply #3 on: March 21, 2016, 10:50:49 AM »
Japan, again.

One of the main reasons was to see the "AIDAprima" before she sets sail from Nagasaki. ... But, she left two days earlier, so it was a fail. :) (And I was just lazy to write an e-mail and ask the simple question "When?" Then, I would have flown there for one day only, just to see her. Oh well. Let now other people contribute to the site with their pictures of this cruising ship.)

But still, plenty to see. Like this scene:

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2428434

The second ship in AIDA Hyperion class, "AIDAperla" (this name being finally officially confirmed), is under construction at MHI Tategami works, and the Japanese Navy (OK, JMSDF to be precise) are routinely visiting MHI yard for repairs and refits.

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2428455

LPG tanker "Astomos Venus" was moved from Koyagi to Tategami works:

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2428467

Also, the "SkySea Golden Era" (ex "Celebrity Century") brought a fresh batch of (mostly) Chinese tourists:

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2428464

Some fresh tugs were at their station at Dejima wharf:

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2428460

And, there were some nice looking patrol boats, like this one:

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2428468

Then, train to Sasebo, to see what's going on at Sumitomo shipyard in Oshima.

Offline lappino

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Re: Shipspotting in Japan
« Reply #4 on: March 22, 2016, 10:29:51 AM »
Sasebo is primarily an important naval base, but Sumitomo's Oshima shipyard is also close by, so there are enough interesting things to see.

First, USNS Rainier, the second ship in the Supply class of fast combat support ships:

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2428866

Then, bulker "Osaka Star" fitting out at Sasebo Heavy Industries:

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2428868

Here's a cruise ship that looks somewhat familiar... Sure, she already has hundreds of her photos here on this site, but this is the first with the new name. :)

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2428869

Then, hop on a ferry to Oshima island, some 35 minutes, with plenty of possibilities to take photos along the way. Here's one fresh bulker, "Federal Champlain":

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2428873

And two more, "Tai Summit" and "Nord Everest":

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2428874

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2428875

Then, on to Mihara, via Hakata and Hiroshima.


Offline Sinisa Aljinovic

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Re: Shipspotting in Japan
« Reply #5 on: March 22, 2016, 01:30:12 PM »
Vlad, check out this spot from where those two guys take videos of ships in Japan.Aidaperla and Aidaprima included,off course!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQrHbHo3EaUpKK4pYv7jrOg

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCheZ9o8nNcYXtByV32npJFw
« Last Edit: March 22, 2016, 01:40:15 PM by Sinisa Aljinovic »

Offline lappino

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Re: Shipspotting in Japan
« Reply #6 on: March 23, 2016, 07:19:14 AM »
Thanks, Sini

Offline lappino

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Re: Shipspotting in Japan
« Reply #7 on: March 24, 2016, 07:22:59 AM »
So, on to Tsuneishi shipyard, situated in Fukuyama, some half hour by ferry from Onomichi.

Again, I was expecting bulkers, and I got what I expected. :)

But there were also other things to see, like this floating crane. Notice the differently colored hook blocks:

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2429918

Then, the bulkers. First, "Arietta Lily":

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2429920

"Pedhoulas Cedrus":

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2429921

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2429923

Next, Setoda and Mihara.


Offline lappino

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Re: Shipspotting in Japan
« Reply #8 on: March 24, 2016, 09:48:23 AM »
...Setoda and Mihara, but first one leftover bulker from Tsuneishi shipyard, hull No. 1552:

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2429946

Then, ferry back to Onomichi, and then a (smaller) ferry to Setoda. Naikai shipyard is just next to Sawa pier, again with a new bulker, "Mountpark":

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2429954

This ferry trip to Setoda was considered in the first place because there was no other way to see the Imabari shipyard in Mihara (Imabari obviously being the name of the shipbuilding group, the town of Imabari itself is on the island of Shikoku). So I walked couple of kilometers from Sawa/Setoda to the north shore of Takaneshima Island, locally famous for being the orange and lemon garden (and I did not steal even one of them!), to have a view of this shipyard that builds...(you got it!) bulkers.

"Navios Felix":

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2429957

"Celigny":

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2429959

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2429960

Then, this photo just to show different superstructures, "Celigny" and "Jubilant Dream":

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2429965

Finally, "Mineral Yarden":

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2429970

From Sawa/Setoda there's a 20-minutes ferry ride to Sunami next to Mihara, where I planned to catch the train to Hiroshima; channel between Takaneshima Island and Kyushu had some light traffic, so it was possible to see some nice looking cement carriers, like the "Pacific Breeze" here:

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2429973

Coming up next, ferry from Kure to Matsuyama on the island of Shikoku.


Offline lappino

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Re: Shipspotting in Japan
« Reply #9 on: March 25, 2016, 11:21:11 AM »
Ferry from Kure to Matsuyama sailed by JMU shipyard, so I checked on the progress of NYK 14.000 TEU ships. "NYK Ibis" looked almost ready to go, and on the right side of the picture another container carrier under construction could be seen, about the same size, IMHO:

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2430544

And one new bulker:

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2430546

Then, I remembered this Filipino ferry from my last visit, but this time it goes to "Ferries" category, as being almost ready:

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2430545

Inland Sea between Kyushu and Shikoku sees some solid traffic. First, fast ferry "Shoko":

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2430547

Then, "Kyokuyo Maru":

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2430548

Also, a couple of cargo ships, first "Sumiyoshi Maru No. 30":

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2430549

"Xin Rui 2":

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2430550

Next, Imabari, Onishi and Aioi back on Kyushu...



Offline lappino

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Re: Shipspotting in Japan
« Reply #10 on: March 26, 2016, 10:44:58 AM »
So, early morning at Hashihama, where the Imabari shipyard is located, just before the rain started, so at least I was lucky there.

Bulker, again. :) Her IMO number was marked on the stern, the name "Aquaperseverence" I found on the site datamar.com.br:

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2431064

Next, quick train ride to Onishi, with the Shin Kurushima shipyard. I was hoping for a new K Line vehicle carrier, but none were at the outfitting piers; one was in the dock, and I even trespassed to some office building, scaling its fire stairway to get a better shot, all for very little result...
So, a bulker (no surprises here!) first:

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2431069

But then, a tanker:

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2431070

Rain has altered my plans to stop at Marugame to check the Imabari shipyard, so I continued on to Okayama, to get on a train to Aioi. The Great Seto Bridge linking Shikoku and Kyushu islands offered me some good vantage points over the Kawasaki shipyard in Sakaide, even with less than perfect shooting conditions (just set the focus to "Auto", and start shooting like crazy, hoping that there'll be some photos without bridge structure covering most of the screen). A bit shaky result can be seen here, "LNG Fukurokuju":

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2428063

And, there's also traffic between the islands. Crude oil tanker "Kyo Ei":

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2431074

Then, Aioi with its IHI shipyard. It was not so busy, but there were some typically Japanese ferries to see, like the "Hakuou"...:

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2428025

...and "Suisen":

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2431078

Example of my other passion can be seen on the hill above, an old military bunker. So, when I am not taking photos of ships, you can find me roaming the old battlefields or exploring underground fortifications...

The same shipyard produces the superstructures for the new NYK container vessels from Kobe:


Offline Brent

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Re: Shipspotting in Japan
« Reply #11 on: March 27, 2016, 07:31:31 PM »
Hey Vlad
Enjoyed following your trip report, shame about AIDAPerla but I think that's the shipspotters curse that we all suffer. Only last week went on a family holiday to another small town, but knowing my interest my cousin knew f a restaurant overlooking port fairway and checked shipping times for a booking when something was sailing. Sadly didn't quite work out as ship had already come in, the curse again but it was a nice thought, and nice breakfast.
Cheers
Brent
...

 

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