NYK-Hinode Line, Ltd., since its founding in 1912 as Hinode Kisen Co., Ltd., has continued to develop primarily as a carrier of heavy cargo. When Hinode Kisen became a wholly owned subsidiary of Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK Line) in February 2001, we added new business activities to our traditional transport services. From Tokyo Senpaku Kaisha (TSK Line), we took over strong business infrastructure in Indonesia and other Southeast Asian nations and from NYK Line the operation of well-established conventional services, such as the transport of plant cargoes on the Europe-Mediterranean, Africa, Australia, India and South Pacific trades as well as to the U.S. Incorporating these additional services, NYK-Hinode Line has become what we are today as a comprehensive operator of liner and semi-liner conventional cargo freighters.
Via these additions, Hinode Kisen's diversified fleet of top-notch vessels and services are now capable of transporting all types of conventional cargoes by means of even more flexible operations, including the mutual transfer of vessels between the various routes involved.
In July 2002, Hinode Kisen was rechristened NYK-Hinode Line, Ltd. to mark its rebirth as a member of the NYK Group. In a bid to build a stronger bond of trust with its customers, NYK-Hinode Line, Ltd. is determined to further improve and to expand its service networks with a view to providing transport services better tailored to increasingly diversified customer needs.