Japan has certified its first RoRo vessel for fully autonomous commercial navigation, marking a milestone in the country’s efforts to develop unmanned shipping technology.
The Hokuren Maru No. 2, a 6,890-dwt ship operated by Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K LINE), completed all required certifications in January and February 2026. Built in 2016 and 173 meters long, the vessel carries trucks loaded with raw milk and other agricultural products between Kushiro Port in northern Hokkaido and Hitachi Port near Tokyo.
The RoRo was retrofitted with advanced sensors feeding data to an autonomous navigation system. Testing, which began in October 2023 as part of the MEGURI2040 project sponsored by The Nippon Foundation, showed a 96% operational success rate during early sea trials. The project has focused on improving autonomous ship technology, including automatic vessel speed control and operations in congested or challenging waters.
ClassNK (Nippon Kaiji Kyokai) issued the autonomous shipping certification on January 27, 2026, and the ship passed its statutory inspection by Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism on February 9. Hokuren Maru No. 2 is now fully authorized to operate autonomously in commercial service.
The initiative aims to address Japan’s aging and shrinking seafarer workforce, reduce human error at sea, and maintain the stability of domestic supply chains. Hokuren Maru No. 2 joins other vessels in the project, including a RoPax ferry and the containership Genbu (8,597 dwt / 140 TEU), which have also been prepared for autonomous operations.
A consortium of 53 companies participates in MEGURI2040, helping to develop global standards for autonomous ship operations while providing critical data for commercializing the technology.
