The Chichibu Maru ( 秩父丸 ) was a Japanese passenger ship which, renamed Kamakura Maru , was sunk during World War II, killing 2,035 soldiers and civilians on board.
55-736: The Chichibu Maru was built for the Nippon Yusen shipping company by the Yokohama Dock Company. She was launched on 8 May 1929 and completed in 1930. She had a beam of 22.6 meters, a length of 178 meters and a tonnage of 17,498. Cruising speed was 19 knots, with a maximum of 21 knots. The ship could carry 817 passengers. She differed from her half-sisters, the Asama Maru and the Tatsuta Maru , in her propulsion system, and in having one (rather than two) funnels. Before
110-423: A (so-called) "close company" ( 非公開会社 , hi-kōkai gaisha ) , in which case the company (e.g. its board of directors or a shareholders' meeting, as defined in the articles of incorporation) must approve any transfer of shares between shareholders; this designation must be made in the articles of incorporation. The articles must be sealed by the incorporator(s) and notarized by a civil law notary , then filed with
165-529: A 660,000 car capacity which represents just over 17% of the global car transportation fleet capacity. Over 123 vessels are deployed worldwide transporting cars manufactured in Japan, US, EU towards Asia, Middle East, North & South America, Australia, Africa and Europe. In addition to brand new cars, High and Heavy cargo (such as excavators, mobile cranes, new and used trucks and buses, trailers, Mafi roll trailers ) and break bulk static pieces are carried all over
220-511: A K.K. is carried out by one or more incorporators ( 発起人 , hokkinin , sometimes referred to as "promoters") . Although seven incorporators were required as recently as the 1980s, a K.K. now only needs one incorporator, which may be an individual or a corporation. If there are multiple incorporators, they must sign a partnership agreement before incorporating the company. The purpose statement requires some specialized knowledge, as Japan follows an ultra vires doctrine and does not allow
275-468: A K.K. must have a board of directors ( 取締役会 , torishimariyaku kai ) consisting of at least three individuals. Directors have a statutory term of office of two years, and auditors have a term of four years. Small companies can exist with only one or two directors, with no statutory term of office, and without a board of directors ( 取締役会非設置会社 , torishimariyaku-kai hi-setchi-gaisha ) . In such companies, decisions are made via shareholder meeting and
330-477: A K.K. to act beyond its purposes. Judicial or administrative scriveners are often hired to draft the purposes of a new company. Additionally, the articles of incorporation must contain the following if applicable: Other matters may also be included, such as limits on the number of directors and auditors. The Corporation Code allows a K.K. to be formed as a "stock company that is not a public company" ( 公開会社でない株式会社 , kōkai gaisha denai kabushiki gaisha ) , or
385-632: A distress signal before the ship sank, thus no one suspected its loss until 3 May 1943. Nippon Yusen The Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha ( 日本郵船株式会社 , Nippon Yūsen kabushiki kaisha , lit. ' Japan Mail Ship Company ' ) , also known as NYK Line , is a Japanese shipping company. The company headquarters are located in Chiyoda, Tokyo , Japan . It operates a fleet of over 800 ships, which includes container ships , tankers , bulk and woodchip carriers, roll-on/roll-off car carriers, reefer vessels, LNG carriers , and cruise ships. It
440-430: A merger with Kyodo Unyu Kaisha (founded 1882) led to the adoption of the company's present name. The merged company had a fleet of 58 steamships and expanded its operations rapidly, first to other Asian ports and then worldwide, with a line service to Seattle established in 1896 and to London in 1899. The company's Katori Maru was used by Chinese Muslims to travel to Singapore on their way to Makkah for
495-399: A minor issue when deciding how to structure a business in Japan. As all publicly traded companies follow the K.K. structure, smaller businesses often choose to incorporate as a K.K. simply to appear more prestigious. In addition to income taxes, K.K.s must also pay registration taxes to the national government and may be subject to local taxes. Generally, the power to bring actions against
550-449: A number of interchanges of prisoners, diplomats and other personnel took place amongst the warring parties. These usually occurred over long distances utilising neutral ports. The Kamakura Maru was a participant in one of the most significant of these exchanges. On 10 August 1942, she departed Yokohama with British diplomats and members of other foreign diplomatic delegations and civilians. On 14 August 1942, she arrived at Shanghai where she
605-576: A prefix (e.g. 株式会社 電通 , kabushiki gaisha Dentsū , a style called 前株 , mae-kabu ) or as a suffix (e.g. トヨタ自動車 株式会社 , Toyota Jidōsha kabushiki gaisha , a style called 後株 , ato-kabu ). Many Japanese companies translate the phrase " 株式会社 " in their name as " Company, Limited "—this is very often abbreviated as " Co., Ltd. "—but others use the more Americanized translations "Corporation" or "Incorporated". Texts in England often refer to kabushiki kaisha as " joint stock companies ". While that
SECTION 10
#1732801473948660-513: A price of less than ¥50,000 per share (effective 1982-2003 ), or operate with paid-in capital of less than ¥10 million (effective 1991–2005). On June 29, 2005, the Diet of Japan passed a new Companies Act ( 会社法 , kaisha-hō ) , which took effect on May 1, 2006. A kabushiki gaisha may be started with capital as low as ¥1, making the total cost of a K.K. incorporation approximately ¥240,000 (about US$ 2,500) in taxes and notarization fees. Under
715-672: A remarkable position within the Liner ranking, as one of top twelve companies in the number of containers carried, number one RORO Carrier, and one of the main player in LNG and break bulk transport fields, plus several prominent awards for its cruise service quality. In April 2014, eight container sister ships of a new series were commissioned, and two more units were inserted as options in the construction contract. Both options were converted into firm orders in July 2014. The building began in spring 2015 at
770-634: A second-class ticket sold for £14/0/0 would be sold for £11/5/0. The majority of Japanese merchant ships, tankers, and liners sailed under the NYK banner in this period. Regular services linked Kobe and Yokohama with South America, Batavia , Melbourne , and Cape Town , with frequent crossings to San Francisco and Seattle . Other routes connected local Chinese cabotage vessels on the Chinese coasts and upper Yangtze River . Ocean routes went east from Japan to Vancouver (Canada) or Seattle. Another way
825-1326: A variety of ship names. Some names form series, as in those ships named after flowers , stars , star constellations , and provinces of pre- Meiji Japan. Flowers ACX Cherry (1994) ACX Hibiscus (1997) ACX Jasmine (1996) ACX Lily (1990) ACX Magnolia (1998) ACX Marguerite (1997) ACX Salvia (1997) Plumeria Leader (2022) Stars Altair Leader (2011) NYK Altair (2010) NYK Canopus (1998) NYK Deneb (2007) NYK Rigel (2009) NYK Sirius (1998) NYK Vega (2006) Rigel Leader (2011) Constellations Andromeda Leader (2007) Aphrodite Leader (2007) Apollon Leader (2007) Aries Leader (2014) Auriga Leader (2008) Cepheus Leader (2006) Cetus Leader (2005) Equuleus Leader (2005) NYK Antares (1997) NYK Leo (2002) NYK Orion (2008) NYK Pegasus (2003) NYK Phoenix (2003) NYK Virgo (2007) Volans Leader (2003) Provinces Iga Maru (1996) Izu Maru (1997) Izumo Maru (1997) Kaga Maru (1988) Sanuki Maru (1997) Settsu Maru (1997) Shima Maru (1997) Miscellaneous Asama Maru (1954) Astoria Maru (1952) Galaxy Leader (2002) Hakone Maru (1968) Hikawa Maru (1974) Zeus Leader (2009) By
880-616: Is a member of the Ocean Network Express and Mitsubishi Group . The company traces its history back to the Tsukumo Shokai shipping company founded by the Tosa clan in 1870. In 1875, as the renamed Mitsubishi Shokai , the company inaugurated Japan's first passenger liner service, with a route from Yokohama to Shanghai ; in that same year, the company name was changed to Mitsubishi Mail Steamship Company. In 1885,
935-593: Is also combined into one Unicode character at code point U+337F ㍿ SQUARE CORPORATION , while the parenthesized form can also be represented with a single character, U+3231 ㈱ PARENTHESIZED IDEOGRAPH STOCK as well as parentheses around U+682A 株 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-682A and its romanization U+33CD ㏍ SQUARE KK . These forms, however, only exist for backward compatibility with older Japanese character encodings and Unicode and should be avoided when possible in new text. The first kabushiki gaisha
990-448: Is close to a literal translation of the term, the two are not precisely the same. The Japanese government once endorsed "business corporation" as an official translation but now uses the more literal translation "stock company." Japanese often abbreviate " 株式会社 " in a company name on signage (including the sides of their vehicles) to 株 in parentheses , as, for example, " ABC㈱ ." The full, formal name would then be " ABC株式会社 ". 株式会社
1045-629: Is referred to as a company with a board of statutory auditors ( 監査役会設置会社 , kansayaku-kai setchi-gaisha ) . Close K.K.s may also have a single person serving as director and statutory auditor, regardless of capital or liabilities. A statutory auditor may be any person who is not an employee or director of the company. In practice, the position is often filled by a very senior employee close to retirement, or by an outside attorney or accountant. Japanese law does not designate any corporate officer positions. Most Japanese-owned kabushiki gaisha do not have "officers" per se , but are directly managed by
1100-484: The Hajj in 1925. From there, the company had the pilgrims travel on board other Japanese steamships to Suez and then to Makkah. The company promised to take responsibility for all the necessary formalities and helped contact other local transportation agencies that could take the pilgrims to Makkah. Chinese pilgrims were promised a 20% discount for their tickets. A third-class ticket that sold for £5/10/0 would be £4/8/0, while
1155-847: The Kamakura Maru . The ship loaded 47,710 Red Cross parcels for POWs in the Far East. The western nationals were disembarked from Kamakura Maru , with 115 Australian, British and Allied nationals embarked on SS City of Canterbury for the return voyage to Australia. Other repatriates waited for transportation on other vessels. On 11 September 1942 the Kamakura Maru arrived at Singapore disembarking 289 Japanese and delivered 14,770 parcels for POWs. In early October 1942 it arrived at Hong Kong with 32,940 parcels for POWs. On 8 October 1942 Kamakura Maru arrived in Yokohama, where several thousand people were present as Minister Kawai handed over
SECTION 20
#17328014739481210-585: The Illinois Business Corporation Act of 1933, giving kabushiki gaisha many traits of American corporations , and to be more exact, Illinois corporations. Over time, Japanese and U.S. corporate law diverged, and K.K. assumed many characteristics not found in U.S. corporations. For instance, a K.K. could not repurchase its own stock (a restriction lifted by the amendment of the Commercial Code in 2001), issue stock for
1265-562: The Japanese Minister (Ambassador) to Australia, Kawai Tatsuo , and 870 other Japanese officials and their families and a few Siamese nationals for repatriation. Minister Kawai took aboard four white boxes containing the ashes of Japanese midget submariners killed in the 31 May 1942 attack on Sydney Harbour . On 6 September 1942 the Kamakura Maru arrived at Lourenço Marques , Portuguese East Africa. The Japanese passengers are disembarked from SS City of Canterbury and embarked on
1320-613: The Japanese cruise market. In 2006 Asuka was replaced by the much larger Asuka II , formerly Crystal Cruises' Crystal Harmony . At the end of March 2008, the NYK Group was operating about 776 major ocean vessels, as well as fleets of planes, trains, and trucks. The company's shipping fleet includes around 155 containerships, 286 bulk carriers, 55 woodchip carriers, 113 car carriers, 21 reefer carriers, 78 tankers, 30 LNG carriers, and three cruise ships. NYK's revenue in fiscal 2007
1375-478: The Legal Affairs Bureau in the jurisdiction where the company will have its head office. In a direct incorporation, each incorporator receives a specified amount of stock as designated in the articles of incorporation. Each incorporator must then promptly pay its share of the starting capital of the company, and if no directors have been designated in the articles of incorporation, meet to determine
1430-467: The Ministry of Finance. Under the new Company Law, public and other non-close K.K.s may either have a statutory auditor, or a nominating committee ( 指名委員会 , shimei-iin-kai ) , auditing committee ( 監査委員会 , kansa-iin-kai ) and compensation committee ( 報酬委員会 , hōshū-iin kai ) structure similar to that of American public corporations. If the company has an auditing committee, it
1485-647: The NYK Line provided military transport and hospital ships for the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy. Many vessels were sunk by the Allied navies, and installations and ports were attacked from the air. Only 37 NYK ships survived the war. The company lost 185 ships in support of military operations in the Pacific. Before the war, NYK had 36 passenger ships; by the time of Japan's surrender only one,
1540-520: The boxes of ashes to relatives of the midget submariners. The Asama Maru was involved in a similar diplomatic exchange in July 1942, paired with the MS Gripsholm , also at Lourenco Marques, mainly with American diplomats being exchanged. Thus all three of the sister ships were involved in this unique type of operation. On April 28, 1943, the Kamakura Maru , sailing from Manila to Singapore and carrying some 2,500 soldiers and civilians. The vessel
1595-425: The decision-making power of the directors is relatively limited. As soon as a third director is designated such companies must form a board. At least one director is designated as a Representative Director ( 代表取締役 , daihyō-torishimariyaku ) , holds the corporate seal and is empowered to represent the company in transactions. The Representative Director must "report" to the board of directors every three months;
1650-415: The directors on the corporation's behalf is granted to the statutory auditor. Historically, derivative suits by shareholders were rare in Japan. Shareholders have been permitted to sue on the corporation's behalf since the postwar Americanization of the Commercial Code; however, this power was severely limited by the nature of court costs in Japan. Because the cost to file a civil action is proportional to
1705-618: The directors, one of whom generally has the title of president ( 社長 , sha-chō ) . The Japanese equivalent of a corporate vice president is a department chief ( 部長 , bu-chō ) . Traditionally, under the lifetime employment system, directors and department chiefs begin their careers as line employees of the company and work their way up the management hierarchy over time. This is not the case in most foreign-owned companies in Japan, and some native companies have also abandoned this system in recent years in favor of encouraging more lateral movement in management. Corporate officers often have
Chichibu Maru - Misplaced Pages Continue
1760-417: The exact meaning of this statutory provision is unclear, but some legal scholars interpret it to mean that the board must meet every three months. In 2015, the requirement that at least one director and one Representative Director must be a resident of Japan was changed. It is not required to have a resident Representative Director although it can be convenient to do so. Directors are mandatories ( agents ) of
1815-736: The first Japanese shipping firm to join the Sustainable Shipping Initiative 's Ship Recycling Transparency Initiative , which incorporates the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships . On 19 November 2023, the NYK operated vessel Galaxy Leader , while sailing in Red Sea en route to India, was hijacked by the Iranian backed Houthi on
1870-634: The globe by NYK. Kabushiki kaisha A kabushiki gaisha ( Japanese : 株式会社 , pronounced [kabɯɕi̥ki ɡaꜜiɕa] ; lit. ' share company ' ) or kabushiki kaisha , commonly abbreviated K.K. or KK , is a type of company ( 会社 , kaisha ) defined under the Companies Act of Japan . The term is often translated as "stock company", " joint-stock company " or "stock corporation". The term kabushiki gaisha in Japan refers to any joint-stock company regardless of country of origin or incorporation; however, outside Japan
1925-642: The greatest importance for trading with Japan. These ports had the third, fourth, and eighth place in net tonnage registered in the world. Coal passed from Moji to Osaka and Yokohama. Karafuto timber represented a third part of local trade. Soybean products from Dairen and Ryojun arrived at Yokohama. The sugarcane of the South Seas Mandate and Formosa , cotton, salt, and minerals represented other important parts of these transport transactions. In 1926, Toyo Kisen Line (TKK), with its fleet of nine ships, merged with NYK. The current funnel livery
1980-468: The grounds it was an Israeli owned vessel. In May 2024 the owners asked the Houthis to release the crew. On Monday, 31 October 2016, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha , Mitsui OSK Lines and Nippon Yusen Kaisha agreed to merge their container shipping business by establishing a completely new joint venture company. The integration included their overseas terminal activities. The joint venture company operates under
2035-404: The incorporator, and then make payment for his or her shares by a date specified by the incorporator(s). Capital must be received in a commercial bank account designated by the incorporator(s), and the bank must provide certification that payment has been made. Once the capital has been received and certified, the incorporation may be registered at the Legal Affairs Bureau. Under present law,
2090-470: The initial directors and other officers. The other method is an "incorporation by offering," in which each incorporator becomes the stock underwriter of a specified number of shares (at least one each), and the other shares are offered to other investors. As in a direct incorporation, the incorporators must then hold an organizational meeting to appoint the initial directors and other officers. Any person wishing to receive shares must submit an application to
2145-437: The legal title of shihainin , which makes them authorized representatives of the corporation at a particular place of business, in addition to a common-use title. Kabushiki gaisha are subject to double taxation of profits and dividends, as are corporations in most countries. In contrast to many other countries, however, Japan also levies double taxes on close corporations ( yugen gaisha and gōdō gaisha ). This makes taxation
2200-1547: The market for passenger liner travel. The evolution of the fleet mirrors some of those developments. In the following lists, the dates of maiden voyages are indicated with each ship's name. Amongst the many ships in the early NYK fleet, some names comprise serial categories. Some ships were named after Shinto shrines, and others were named after ancient provinces of Japan , cities of Japan , mountains of Japan or islands of Japan . Some ships had explicitly non-Japanese names, such as ships named after cities. Shinto shrines Chichibu Maru (1930). Hie Maru (1930). Heian Maru (1930). Hikawa Maru (1930). Kasuga Maru (1940). Kitano Maru (1909). Nitta Maru (1939). Tatsuta Maru (1930). Terukuni Maru (1930). Yawata Maru (1939) Provinces Awa Maru (1899). Awa Maru (1943). Kaga Maru (19__). Noto Maru (1934). Tango Maru (1905). Mountains Asama Maru (1929). Maya Maru (1925). Rokko Maru (1923). Cities Asuka Maru (1924). Calcutta Maru (1917). Dakar Maru (1920). Durban Maru (1920). Hakone Maru (1921) Lima Maru (1920). Lisbon Maru (1920). Lyons Maru (1920). Miscellaneous Korea Maru (1901). Kyushu Maru (1862). Rosetta Maru (1900). Siberia Maru (1901). Taiyo Maru (1911). Toyama Maru (1915). Yoshida Maru (1941). The modern NYK tonnage encompasses
2255-764: The mid-1950s NYK ships were again seen around the world. As the demand for passenger ships dwindled in the 1960s, NYK expanded its cargo operation, running Japan's first container ship Hakone Maru on a route to California in 1968 and soon establishing container ship routes to many other ports. NYK became a partner in Nippon Cargo Airlines in 1978, and in 1985, added United States container train service in cooperation with Southern Pacific . NYK revived its passenger ship business in 1989 with cruise ships operated by its newly formed subsidiary Crystal Cruises . In 1990 NYK resumed passenger services under its own name when MS Asuka entered service on
Chichibu Maru - Misplaced Pages Continue
2310-658: The motor ship Hikawa Maru , survived. NYK's surviving vessels and equipment were confiscated by the Allied authorities as reparations , or taken by recently liberated Asian states in 1945-46. Shipping Control Authority for the Japanese Merchant Marine requisitioned Hikawa Maru as a transport ship to repatriate Japanese soldiers and civilians from territories that had been liberated from Japanese occupation. The NYK tonnage expanded in bursts, responding to changes economic conditions and perceived changes in
2365-531: The name " Ocean Network Express " (ONE), with the company headquarters in Japan (Tokyo), a global business operations headquarters in Singapore and regional headquarters in United Kingdom (London), United States (Richmond, VA), Hong Kong, and Brazil (São Paulo). The new company started its operations on 1 April 2018. NYK is also the world's largest roll-on/roll-off ocean carrier. NYK's RORO fleet has
2420-422: The old Commercial Code, a K.K. required starting capital of ¥10 million (about US$ 105,000); a lower capital requirement was later instituted, but corporations with under ¥3 million in assets were barred from issuing dividends , and companies were required to increase their capital to ¥10 million within five years of formation. The main steps in incorporation are the following: The incorporation of
2475-732: The shareholders, and the Representative Director is a mandatory of the board. Any action outside of these mandates is considered a breach of mandatory duty. Every K.K. with multiple directors must have at least one statutory auditor ( 監査役 , kansayaku ) . Statutory auditors report to the shareholders, and are empowered to demand financial and operational reports from the directors. K.K.s with capital of over ¥500m, liabilities of over ¥2bn and/or publicly traded securities are required to have three statutory auditors, and must also have an annual audit performed by an outside CPA . Public K.K.s must also file securities law reports with
2530-620: The shipyard Japan Marine United in Kure, Hiroshima . The first delivered ship of the ten units to be built within end of 2018, was mv NYK Blue Jay launched in 2016. All 10 vessels received names of bird species (therefore called the NYK-bird class ). The ships are used on the European Far East route and are the largest container ships built in Japan so far, having a maximum container capacity of 14,026 TEU. In May 2021 NYK Line became
2585-438: The strike there was an explosion and the ship upended and sank by the stern. The US submarine passed through the area where the ship sank and reported a dozen lifeboats and floating debris and a large number of people in the water. Four days later, 465 survivors (28 sailors out of 176 crew, and 437 passengers) were rescued from the sea by Japanese ships, implying some 2,035 people were killed. The Japanese crew failed to send out
2640-483: The term refers specifically to joint-stock companies incorporated in Japan. In Latin script, kabushiki kaisha , with a ⟨k⟩ , is often used, but the original Japanese pronunciation is kabushiki gaisha , with a ⟨g⟩ , owing to rendaku . A kabushiki gaisha must include " 株式会社 " in its name (Article 6, paragraph 2 of the Companies Act). In a company name, " 株式会社 " can be used as
2695-509: The war, the ship carried passengers between Yokohama and San Francisco . Prince Takamatsu and Princess Takamatsu also traveled on this ship. Following the adoption of Kunrei-shiki romanization the ship was renamed Kamakura Maru in 1939. In 1942 she was requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Navy to serve as a troop transport ship, and also as hospital ship . Despite hostilities between various nations during WW2,
2750-578: Was about US$ 26 billion, and as a group NYK employs about 55,000 people worldwide. The company has offices in 240 places in 27 countries, warehouses on nearly every continent, and harbor operations in Asia, North America, and Europe. NYK head office is based in Tokyo, and has regional headquarters in London, New York, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney, and São Paulo. During the first decade of 2000s, NYK reached
2805-461: Was introduced in 1929. The company also ran services connecting metropolitan Japan to its exterior provinces ( Chosen , Karafuto , Kwantung , Formosa and South Mandate ) of the Empire. From 1924, all new cargo ships for NYK were motor ships . NYK introduced its first passenger motor ships in 1929, but continued to buy a mixture of steam and motor passenger ships until 1939. In World War II,
SECTION 50
#17328014739482860-662: Was joined by another exchange vessel Tatsuta Maru carrying Sir Robert Craigie , the British Ambassador and other diplomats. The Kamakura Maru picked up another 903 British and foreign nationals in Shanghai. The following day both ships sailed for Saigon and then Singapore picking up a few more foreign nationals at each place. Meanwhile, on 18 August 1942, the SS City of Canterbury in Melbourne , Australia, embarked
2915-632: Was the Dai-Ichi Bank , incorporated in 1873. Rules regarding kabushiki gaisha were set out in the Commercial Code of Japan , and was originally based on laws regulating German Aktiengesellschaft (which also means share company). However, during the United States-led Allied Occupation of Japan following World War II, the occupation authorities introduced revisions to the Commercial Code based on
2970-802: Was to stop in Hawaii , which continued to San Francisco and the Panama Canal . The next commercial routes were south from Japan, across the East China Sea . These went to Southeast Asia, the China coasts, and towards India and the Indian Ocean, to Europe or Batavia ( Dutch Indies ), or Australia and New Zealand . The fastest services took 10 days from Yokohama to Seattle, and one month to Europe. Local sea routes connected 78 home seaports (38 open to foreign trade). Yokohama, Kobe, and Osaka had
3025-521: Was unescorted in the Sulu Sea 15 miles southwest of Naso Point, Panay Island, Philippine Islands. The US submarine USS Gudgeon fired a spread of four torpedoes at the Japanese vessel at 3,200 yards range. After two minutes there were two explosions. The Kamakura Maru was hit twice on her starboard side at the No. 4 hold where fuel and vehicles immediately caught fire which rapidly spread. Twelve minutes after
#947052