Ships of Kanmon Strait

lovely vehicles carrier sailing under the Flag of Panama gracefully cruised thru Kanmon Straits of Japan on May 1st 2025. MORNING CHERRY (IMO 9675585) Vehicles Carrier The ro-ro vessel Morning Cherry was captured on digital film by Ship Freakazoid while ship spotting Japan's sea near Kitakyushu on a lovely spring afternoon. EUKOR Ro-Ro Ship MORNING CHERRY Sailing in Japan One can help but wonder what kind of vehicles are in this lovely Eukor cargo ship. Cars? Trucks? Buses? Panzer Tanks? Bulldozers? This vessel gets around. It has been to ports like Suva in Fiji, Damman in Saudi Arabia, Shanghai in West Taiwan (f#$% the CCP!), and Mokpo in Korea. Guess people still need cars... Vessel Name MORNING CHERRY Ship Type Vehicles Carrier / Ro-Ro IMO number 9675585 MMSI 357076000 Flag Panama Year Built 2014 Length (m) 199 metres Width (m) 32 metres Call Sign 3FOD5

small "game changing" luxury cruise sailing the Kanmon Straits of Japan on April 3, 2025. MV Seabourn Quest in the Kanmon Straits of Japan MV Seabourn Quest was captured on digital film by Ship Freakazoid for your viewing pleasure. What a cool ship. Due to the vessel's smaller size, it is able to make port calls at smaller ports and provide wonderful experiences for its passengers. Apparently the passenger capacity is just 458 guests. One could almost learn everyone else's name while on the cruise, if one was so inclined.  Cruise ship sailing under the Kanmon Bridge This vessel attracted a smattering of shutterbugs and Looky Lous as it sailed thru the Kanmon Straits between the Cities of Kitakyushu and Shimonoseki  Japan on a lovely spring day. And, as the Beach Boys sang"Round, round, get around!" This ship gets around. It is now headed to Huron, USA and has just been to Boston and Quebec. I wonder if Quebec will ever secede... That would be cool! Seabourn ...

NS United's coastal cargo ship often travels to/from Nagoya and frequents ports in Kitakyushu and Shimonoseki. After this video was taken, Hiroshima moored at the Tobata Port, which is located in a lovely area of the Garden Paradise Kitakyushu and accessible from the Kanmon Strait. The refreshing light blue color of the hull is typical of many coastal cargo ships in the NS United fleet and really brightens up the sea on dreary winter days. Here is video of the general cargo HIROSHIMA・ひろしま (IMO 9743447) recorded with an old secondhand JVC Everio video camera mounted on a used Slik tripod: And, here are some photos and details on this vessel. HIROSHIMA・ひろしま (IMO 9743447) Olympus E520 with Zuiko 150 mm lens. No filter.  Some bird photo bombed the ship. Photo taken on January 6, 2025. One of the first batch of photos and video taken by Ship Freakazoid in the New Year. Vessel Name: HIROSHIMA ・ ひろしま Length: 76 meters Width: 12 meters IMO: ...

This lovely Sanyo Kaiun Shokai Co., Ltd. tankship sailed thru the Kanmon Straits and past the pollution producing factories of Kitakyushu Japan in the early afternoon of November 11, 2024. The tanker Showa Maru #8 often travels thru the strait going to and from Oita and Hakata (Fukuoka). Japanese tankship in the Kanmon Strait Vessel Name: SHOWA MARU No.8 第八正和丸 Length: 48.50 meters Width: 9.60 meters Flag: Japan Type: Tankship / Tank Ship / Tanker Call Sign: JL6217 Gross Tonnage: 363.00 G/T Built: March 20, 2019 Navagation Area: Coastal Cargo Capacity: 666 kl Pump Capacity: 500 x 2 第八正和丸 SHOWA MARU No.8 (Dai Hachi Showa Maru) This vessel is probably carrying kerosene or some other sort of 白油 or "light oil." Even in the 21st century and with modern housing, many Japanese still like to use kerosene heaters in their homes and offices during the colder winter months. Ship Freakazoid is not ...

LPG tankers often provide a welcome and bright color splash on the backdrop of the polluted Kitakyushu skies. The Korean vessel DL LOTUS is one such ship. DL LOTUS and Kanmon Buoy #24 - Matching Color Schemes! Can you spot the two crew members in blue clothing and yellow hardhats? They were either working, or just taking in the sights of the Garden Paradise Kitakyushu as their ship DL Lotus sailed past on the Kanmon Strait. DL LOTUS sailing poast Ganryujima and Shimonoseki Vessel Name: DL LOTUS  Length: 109.95 meters  Width: 16.83 meters  IMO: 9353979  Flag: Liberia  MMSI: 441453000  Type: LPG Carrier  Call Sign: 5LFP8  Gross Tonnage: 5665 tons  Deadweight: 4998 tons  Year Built: 2008  Builder: Sasaki Shipbuilding (Hiroshima, Japan)  Owner: Daelim (Seoul, Korea)  Manager: NDSM (Busan, Korea) An LPG tanker hel...

The Pride of Garden Paradise Kitakyushu should be the name of the bulk carrier NSU Voyager. This 300 meter long 50 meter wide vessel has 北九州 and KITAKYUSHU painted proudly on its stern. Very cool. NSU VOYAGER sailing towards Garden Paradise Kitakyushu A politician wannabe idiot was creating a cacophony in Moji when the ship sailed thru the Kanmon Strait. Despite his campaign's incessant noise, NSU Voyager was the epitome of tranquility and smooth sailing. Oh, by the way, the idiot's campaign sailed smoothly into a landslide loss. Yay!  Here is some video of the ship (there will be some noise from the campaign --- consider it a bonus track!): Vessel Name: NSU VOYAGER Length: 299.95 meters Width: 50 meters IMO: 9790880 Flag: Japan Port of Registry: Kitakyushu MMSI: 431491000 Type: Bulk Carrier Call Sign: 7JZQ Gross Tonnage: 107829 tons Year Built: 2017 (平成29年) Owner: NS Uni...

September 27, 2024 turned out to be a pretty decent day weather-wise for the greater Garden Paradise Kitakyushu vicinity. In fact, it was an almost perfect day for the cruise ship WESTERDAM of the Holland America Line to sail the Kanmon Straits. MS WESTERDAM sailing the Kanmon Straits of Japan With a length of 936 feet, a beam of 105.8 feet and 82,348 tons, the MS Westerdam was quite a sight as it sailed gracefully past Ganryujim in the Kanmon Strait between Shimonoseki City on Honshu and Kitakyushu City on Kyushu.   Photo of the starboard bow of Holland America's Westerdam   Looking at the above photos of the starboard side of the bow, one can't help but notice the passengers checking out the Shimonoseki side of the strait. Many passengers can be seen taking their own photos, perhaps of Ganryujima and the statues of Miyamoto Musashi and Sasaki Kojiro in their famous sword fight duel to the death. Some might have been taking photographs of the Ship Freakazoid who was taki...

The cement carrier Sumise Maru leaving Kokura (Kitakyushu Japan) on August 20, 2024. SUMISE MARU No. 31 第三十一すみせ丸 This cement carrying ship was built back in 1996. Seems recent to me, but was actually 28 years ago in the last century!  It is obviously very well maintained. SUMISE MARU No. 31 entering the Kanmon Strait Vessel Name: Sumise Maru No. 31 Length:         49.99 meters Width:          9.6 meters IMO:            9145815 Flag:         Japan MMSI:         431600654 Type:         Cement Carrier (Cargo Ship) Call Sign:    JM6543 Gross Tonnage:  360 tons DWT:            732 tons Main Engine:    Hanshin Diesel LH26G 1,000hp Depth:          4.00M Load Draft:     3.75M Built:          November 30, 1996 Sumitomo Osaka ...

The very cool looking HANARIA is apparently the first hybrid passenger ship in Japan to use "next generation energy" hydrogen and biodiesel fuels for an environmentally friendly cruising experience around the Garden Paradise Kitakyushu.   HANARIA is Japan's first hybrid hydrogen and biodiesel fuel passenger ship  Hanaria is a 30 meter long and 10 meter wide vessel and is frequently seen docked in Kokura and Mojiko, both popular areas of the lovely City of Kitakyushu. In the above photo, it can be seen passing by the C. Love Hotel as it leaves Kokura and heads towards Mojiko via the Kanmon Strait. I wonder if anyone on the cruise has stayed at this particular love hotel? HANARIA (MMSI 431023384) starting a cruise and entering the Kanmon Straits If you ever visit Kitakyushu, also known as The Pearl of The Orient, perhaps you might enjoy a day, sunset or night cruise on Hanaria? In the photo above, Hanaria's passengers are surely enjoying the KG silos and majestic mounta...

The 260 meter long container ship MSC NAGOYA V (IMO 9380271) was photographed sailing thru the Kanmon Straits of Japan by Ship Freakazoid on the hot Japanese summer afternoon of August 11, 2024. MSC NAGOYA V (IMO 9380271) Photo by Ship Freakazoid 2024 08 11 MSC Nagoya V seems to frequent the ports of Busan New Port (KR BNP) and Tokyo (JP TYO), and therefore passes between Shimonoseki City (Honshu Island) and Kitakyushu City (Kyushu Island). Both are charming Japanese cities. Someday it would be nice if the captain and crew of this vessel could enjoy more than just the view from their cargo ship as it passes thru the Kanmon Strait. MSC Nagoya V sailing between Shimonoseki and Kitakyushu The photo above shows the ship as it sails by Shimonoseki and a couple of the many majestic mountains of Yamaguchi Prefecture. One can't help but wonder what some people and companies are shipping in the many containers on this lovely ship. It would also be interesting to see what MSC Nagoya V looks ...

Reefer Madness!!!???!!!  The refrigerated cargo ship PACIFIC MAGNOLIA sailed coolly through the Kanmon Straits between the scorching cities of Kitakyushu and Shimonoseki Japan. No animals or pretend musicians were harmed in the photographing or filming of this vessel. PACIFIC MAGNOLIA - Reefer in the Kanmon Straits of Japan Despite the heat, there was a nice sea breeze and the buoys were bobbing and plants were swaying when the photos were taken and the video was shot. The video will not win any awards, but will allow you to see this cool ship making its way between Kitakyushu and Shimonoseki. An older JVC Everio video camera purchased cheaply at a second store in Moji was used.  Just in case anyone was curious...   Back to photos and details of Pacific Magnolia... Reefer cargo ship Pacific Magnolia - Summer 2024 Pacific Magnolia sailing past Moji Ward of Kitakyushu Japan IMO #:  9185334  Vessel Name:  PACIFIC MAGNOLIA  Ship Type:  Refrigerated C...

Meet the 2nd Generation MAYA Container Ship.  Cargo ships of the Imoto Lines fleet of vessels are frequently seen in the Kanmon Straits. When they pass by, it's like bumping into an old buddy while walking your dog. It is always a pleasure to see the interesting and well maintained Imoto Lines container ships, and to sometimes photograph or take video of them. Imoto Lines MAYA container ship   井本商運 まや コンテナ船 These photos were taken by Ship Freakazoid on a hot Japanese summer day July 28, 2024 as MAYA passed between Shimonoseki and Kitakyushu. An older second hand Olympus e-520 DSLR camera with Zuiko 150mm lens was used to capture Maya on digital "film" for your viewing pleasure and/or reference. MAYA - IMO Number 8742680 - まや  Also, feel free to visit Ship Freakazoid's YouTube Channel and check out videos taken of some of the interesting ships seen passing through the Kanmon Straits. https://www.youtube.com/@ShipFreakazoid Here is some info on MAYA acquired fro...

The general cargo ship COSMIC ACE recently sailed the Kanmon Strait between Shimonoseki and Kitakyushu Japan. On a hot and muggy afternoon on July 28, 2024, Ship Freakazoid captured this vessel on digital "film" with both an Olympus e 520 DSLR camera with Zuiko 150mm lens (photographs) and a JVC Everio GZ-E265-N video camera with Konica Minolta 54x zoom lens (video) for your viewing pleasure, reference, or whatever it is you need it for.   Cosmic Ace general cargo ship - Vessel IMO 9779927 After some business in Japan and then Korea, Cosmic Ace is now headed to Long Beach, California USA, perhaps in search of California Girls at Surf City, where the girls are two to one.  And, yes, Ship Freakazoid is also a Jan & Dean and Beach Boys freakazoid! Cosmic Ace sailing between Shimonoseki and Kitakyushu IMO number 9779927  Vessel Name COSMIC ACE  Ship type General Cargo  Ship Flag Panama  Gross Tonnage 9929  Summer Deadweight (t) 13604  Lengt...

HOEGH SHANGHAI of the Hoegh Autoliners fleet in the Kanmon Strait Japan HOEGH SHANGHAI passed thru the Kanmon Strain (Japan) on March 11, 2024 and was photographed by Ship Freakazoid. Kitakyushu experiences many hazy days due to its countless "cloud factories", the weather, and yellow sand blowing over from the Gobi Desert in Chinese aggression ordered by the CCP. The 229 meter long Roro vessel is massive, and looks especially so with small fishing boat Ryusei in the foreground.  Vessel Name: HOEGH SHANGHAI IMO Number:     9312482 Ship Type:         Vehicles Carrier Flag:                 Norway Gross Tonnage: 68871 Summer Deadweight (t): 27178 Length:         229 meters Width:          32 meters Year Built:         2007 HOEGH SHANGHAI Roro Vehicles Carrier passing by Shimonoseki HOEGH SHANGHAI Roro Automobile Carrier passin...

Was this vessel named after Bob Dylan? Or worse yet, after a Beverly Hills 90210 character? Who knows... All we know is that this big ass oil products tanker is coming right at you! DYLAN Oil Tanker IMO 9421336 Dylan passed thru the Kanmon Straits of Kitakyushu and Shimonoseki Japan on the morning of May 8, 2024. The above photo shows its approach from the west with Kitakyushu factories in the background on a crummy misty spring day in Japan. Side view of oil products tanker Dylan sailing in Japanese waters Vessel Name:    DYLAN Length:              183.2 meters Width:                32.2 meters IMO:                    9421336 Flag:                    Marshall Islands MMSI:               636023780 Type:         Tanker / Oil Tanker /...