Mitsubishi Shipbuilding launched the HAMANASU ferry on Oct. 9, 2025, for Japan’s Otaru-Maizuru route, with delivery set for June 2026.

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding launched the car ferry HAMANASU on October 9, 2025, in Shimonoseki, Japan, for Shinnihonkai Ferry and the Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency. Named after a native Japanese rose, the vessel will operate on the Otaru to Maizuru route and is set for handover in June 2026. It features a buttock-flow stern and ducktail design, a KATANA BOW, and anti-rolling systems, boosting energy efficiency by 5% over conventional ships. The ferry supports Japan’s push for greener, more reliable sea transport amid truck driver shortages. It is the second of two ordered, following the KEYAKI, launched in April 2025.