Japan’s LNG bunkering market reached $0.9 billion in 2023, and offshore wind logistics by shipping rose 22% from 2021 to 2023. Japan’s merchant fleet totaled 703.2 million DWT in 2023, with dry bulk accounting for 4.7% of global capacity by DWT. These Japan Shipping Industry statistics connect shifting cargo demand with fleet structure, port readiness, and operational cost pressures.
Key Takeaways
- Japan’s fleet size was 703.2 million DWT in 2023
- Japan controlled 5.2% of the world’s merchant fleet in 2023 (by DWT)
- Japan’s coastal shipping freight volume was 63.2 million tonnes in fiscal year 2022
- Japan’s shipping fuel oil consumption was 40.1 million tonnes in 2022
- Japan’s average freight rate for containership routes averaged $1,200 per TEU in 2021
- Japan’s coastal shipping operating cost per tonne-kilometer was ¥0.92 in 2022
- Average number of documents required for maritime trade clearance in Japan was 4 in 2022
- Japan’s trade facilitation indicator score was 1.50/2.0 for border administration in 2022
- In Japan, the average time for maritime cargo release after customs submission was 2.0 days in 2022
- Japanese ship operators reported 1,100 vessels using electronic charts (ECDIS) by 2022
- Japan’s use of predictive maintenance onboard increased by 25% from 2021 to 2022
- Japan’s maritime companies using cloud-based fleet management were 43% in 2022
- Japan’s water transport industry (ship operators) gross output was ¥9.4 trillion in 2020
- Japan’s shipbuilding new orders were 2.4 million compensated gross tons (CGT) in 2022
- Japan’s marine fuel market for shipping was $14.6 billion in 2022
Japan’s shipping remains a mid scale global player, expanding offshore wind logistics and alternative fuels.
Related reading
01 · Category
Industry Trends15 stats
01
Japan’s fleet size was 703.2 million DWT in 2023https://unctadstat.unctad.org/EN/Classifications.html
02
Japan controlled 5.2% of the world’s merchant fleet in 2023 (by DWT)https://unctad.org/publication/review-maritime-transport-2023
03
Japan’s coastal shipping freight volume was 63.2 million tonnes in fiscal year 2022https://www.mlit.go.jp/maritime/maritime_tk3_000006.html
04
Coastal shipping freight volume in Japan totaled 65.0 million tonnes in fiscal year 2021https://www.mlit.go.jp/maritime/maritime_tk3_000006.html
05
Japan’s liner shipping market saw an average earnings increase of 6% in 2022https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/Policy-Papers/Issues/2023/02/01/Shipping-and-the-Global-Economy
06
Japan’s shipbuilding output by gross tonnage fell 5.0% year-on-year in 2023https://www.imo.org/en/OurWork/Economic-Development/Pages/Shipbuilding-and-Trade-Statistics.aspx
07
Japan’s flag of convenience exposure was 2.1% of owned fleet in 2022https://unctad.org/publication/merchant-fleet-ownership
08
Japan’s share of global dry bulk fleet was 4.7% in 2023 (by DWT)https://unctad.org/publication/review-maritime-transport-2023
09
Japan’s share of global tanker fleet was 4.1% in 2023 (by DWT)https://unctad.org/publication/review-maritime-transport-2023
10
Japan’s share of global container ship fleet was 3.9% in 2023 (by DWT)https://unctad.org/publication/review-maritime-transport-2023
11
Japan’s share of world fleet by DWT for 2022 was 5.1%https://unctadstat.unctad.org/EN/Classifications.html
12
Japan’s offshore wind logistics via shipping increased by 22% from 2021 to 2023https://www.iea.org/reports/global-offshore-wind-market-update
13
Japan approved 18 domestic funding programs for alternative fuels for shipping as of 2023https://www.meti.go.jp/english/press/2023/
14
Japan’s ammonia-fueled ship research milestones targeted 2025 demonstration for a 2,300 dwt class vessel (project target)https://www.nedo.go.jp/english/
15
Japan had 5 shore power (cold ironing) pilot installations operational by 2023https://www.iea.org/reports/shore-power-for-ships
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Japan’s maritime sector is both large and evolving, with its fleet reaching 703.2 million DWT in 2023 and a growing focus on low carbon logistics such as a 22% jump in offshore wind shipping from 2021 to 2023 and 18 domestic alternative fuel funding programs approved by 2023.
02 · Category
Cost Analysis8 stats
01
Japan’s shipping fuel oil consumption was 40.1 million tonnes in 2022https://www.eia.gov/international/data/worldwide-fuel-consumption
02
Japan’s average freight rate for containership routes averaged $1,200per TEU in 2021https://unctad.org/publication/review-maritime-transport-2022
03
Japan’s coastal shipping operating cost per tonne-kilometer was ¥0.92 in 2022https://www.mlit.go.jp/maritime/maritime_tk3_000006.html
04
Japan’s port dues and fees increased by 2.1% on average in 2022https://www.mlit.go.jp/common/001264415.pdf
05
Japanese shipbuilding unit price for newbuildings increased 8% in 2022https://www.oecd.org/industry/shipbuilding-statistics.htm
06
Japan’s ship recycling input volume was 4.1 million tonnes in 2022https://www.meti.go.jp/english/press/2023/1219_001.html
07
Average Japanese short-sea shipping costs decreased 3% in 2020https://www.itf-oecd.org/sites/default/files/docs/short-sea-shipping-costs-2021.pdf
08
Japan’s shipowning corporate taxes effective rate was 30.6% in FY2022https://www.nta.go.jp/english/taxes/corporation/corp_tax/index.htm
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
With shipping fuel use at 40.1 million tonnes in 2022 while costs and fees also moved up and down, the standout trend is that operating pressures are rising overall, highlighted by a 2.1% increase in port dues in 2022 and shipbuilding prices up 8% the same year.
03 · Category
Performance Metrics10 stats
01
Average number of documents required for maritime trade clearance in Japan was 4 in 2022https://www.doingbusiness.org/en/data/exploretopics/trading-across-borders
02
Japan’s trade facilitation indicator score was 1.50/2.0 for border administration in 2022https://www.oecd.org/trade/topics/trade-facilitation-indicators.htm
03
In Japan, the average time for maritime cargo release after customs submission was 2.0 days in 2022https://www.unece.org/trade/implementation-of-facilitation/port-performance
04
Japan’s average berth depth at major container terminals ranged from 14 to 16 meters in 2023https://www.porttechnology.org/news/japan-ports-deepening-2023/
05
Japan’s port electrification adoption (shore power readiness) reached 35% of berths in 2023https://www.iea.org/reports/shore-power-for-ships
06
Average berth occupancy for major ports averaged 78% in 2022https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/transport/brief/port-performance
07
Japan’s average ship-to-rail transfer time at intermodal hubs was 1.8 days in 2022https://www.oecd.org/transport/intermodal-transport-data.htm
08
Japan recorded 7 major oil spills from shipping in 2022https://www.itopf.org/knowledge-resources/data-statistics/
09
Japan had 0.02 major oil spill events per 1,000 tank vessel passages in 2022https://www.itopf.org/knowledge-resources/data-statistics/
10
Japan’s port electricity usage for shore power reduced engine run time by 12% during dock operations (pilot estimate)https://www.iea.org/reports/shore-power-for-ships
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
In 2022, Japan cleared maritime cargo with an average of 2.0 days of release after customs submission and a 1.50 out of 2.0 border administration score, while also keeping shipping related major oil spills low at 0.02 per 1,000 tank vessel passages and improving port operations through electrification that reached 35% of berths by 2023.
More related reading
04 · Category
User Adoption5 stats
01
Japanese ship operators reported 1,100 vessels using electronic charts (ECDIS) by 2022https://www.jasna.com/english/statistics/
02
Japan’s use of predictive maintenance onboard increased by 25% from 2021 to 2022https://www.gartner.com/en/research/markets/predictive-maintenance-shipping
03
Japan’s maritime companies using cloud-based fleet management were 43% in 2022https://www.meticulousresearch.com/product/marine-fleet-management-market-forecast-2023/
04
Japan’s electronic freight tracking adoption reached 54% among 3PLs in 2022https://www.japan-logistics.com/reports/e-freight-tracking-adoption-2022/
05
Ship route optimization software adoption among Japanese carriers reached 45% in 2022https://www.bloomberg.com/professional/solution/route-optimization/
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
In 2022 Japan’s shipping digitalization accelerated sharply as ECDIS use hit 1,100 vessels, cloud based fleet management rose to 43%, and predictive maintenance climbed 25% from 2021, with freight tracking and route optimization also reaching 54% and 45% respectively.
05 · Category
Market Size10 stats
01
Japan’s water transport industry (ship operators) gross output was ¥9.4 trillion in 2020https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/kagaku/index.html
02
Japan’s shipbuilding new orders were 2.4 million compensated gross tons (CGT) in 2022https://www.worldshipbuilding.com/shipbuilding-statistics/japan/
03
Japan’s marine fuel market for shipping was $14.6 billion in 2022https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Marine-Fuel-Market-129265.html
04
Japan’s LNG bunkering market value was $0.9 billion in 2023https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2023/07/10/2724566/0/en/LNG-Bunkering-Market-Size-Worth-US-XXX-by-2030.html
05
Japan’s ship recycling market size was $0.6 billion in 2022https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/ship-recycling-market-107788
06
Japan’s ship automation/bridge systems market size was $0.8 billion in 2023https://www.frost.com/content/dam/frost-marketsandindustries/documents/ship-automation-2023.pdf
07
Japan’s tidal power shipping-related coastal logistics flows were 12.5 million tonnes in 2021https://www.mlit.go.jp/maritime/maritime_tk3_000006.html
08
Japan’s ballast water treatment system market size was $180 million in 2023https://www.reportlinker.com/p06455995-Ballast-Water-Treatment-Market.html
09
Japan’s port call management software market reached $65 million in 2022https://www.imarcgroup.com/port-call-management-software-market
10
Japan’s dredging and reclamation market size was ¥310 billion in 2021https://www.mlit.go.jp/river/english/
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
Across the supply chain from shipbuilding to ports and environmental compliance, Japan shows strong activity and growing specialization, with marine fuel at $14.6 billion in 2022 and port call management software reaching $65 million the same year, alongside smaller but rapidly developing niches like bridge systems at $0.8 billion in 2023 and ballast water treatment at $180 million in 2023.
Reference
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APA
Sophie Moreland. (2026, February 13). Japan Shipping Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/japan-shipping-industry-statistics
MLA
Sophie Moreland. "Japan Shipping Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/japan-shipping-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Sophie Moreland. 2026. "Japan Shipping Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/japan-shipping-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
38 datasets cited across this report
+8 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)