Japanese vessels are invariably interesting because the Japanese, perhaps surprisingly, "dare to be different". This can easily be seen in the shapes and styling of their vessels. However, it often goes much deeper than that. Working with their well-known, but not much emulated, committee approach, the Japanese frequently demonstrate that several brains, working co-operatively together, can often be more effective and creative than one.
Further, Japanese vessels and equipment are renowned for their high quality, durability, reliability and economy. They are not usually the cheapest available but they make up for their prime cost in quality.
A case in point is the 30-knot, aluminium port service boat featured this week. Built by the renowned Kiso Shipyard, the Tamashio II has been designed and built as a hydrographic survey vessel that can readily turn its hand to search and rescue and disaster relief missions.
Japan, of course, is vulnerable to natural disasters being located in both a typhoon zone and a geological activity hotspot that combine to produce tsunamis, floods, earthquakes and very bad typhoons with monotonous regularity. Like good boy scouts, the Japanese people have to be constantly prepared. That means they have to have the vessels and equipment to handle any emergency.
Interestingly, a Japanese government department has ordered 36 examples of the inflatable, vehicle carrying emergency relief boats from Britain's MST that are reviewed in our accompanying Emergency Service Vessels Week feature.
If nothing else, that type of fact perfectly epitomises the global nature of our industry and the absolute necessity of all those involved with it to keep up to date with everything on offer from all sectors of it.
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Any news or views about the Japanese maritime industry? Send it through to editor@baird.com.au ASAP (between now and November 6), so we can add it to this current edition of Japan Week!
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