Do you remember the first ship we delivered in 2016 was "EPIC SENTOSA", a 11,000m3 LPG carrier ? Do you also remember that we built her sister "EPIC SHIKOKU" in May ? Now, our last ship for 2016 was their youngest sibling, "EPIC SAMOS"!

Kyokuyo Shipyard Corporation has revised its work schedules to shorten annual working hours by 4 days, from current 1,992 hours (or 249 days) to 1,960 hours (245 days).

The NIKKEI ASIAN REVIEW recently disclosed Top 20 most viewed stories in the first half of fiscal year 2016, and an article on Kyokuyo Shipyard Corporation was ranked #4!

Yeah, another year has passed. It's October again, so we hosted Kyokuyo Open Golf Tournament to renew our gratitude to our valuable suppliers, sub-contractors, outsourcees and other guests. A total of 110 players, in 29 groups, participated in the 56th Kyokuyo Open, held on October 7, 2016, at Shimonoseki Golf Club.

We are happy to let you know that yet another SSS (Semi-spherically-shaped) bowed ship was born. After pure car carriers and a container carrier, it was a 12,000tdw type cement carrier that was fitted with Kyokuyo's globally patented technology.

Kyokuyo announced a change in the assignment of Corporate Officers and other personnel change.

In this issue we report on a recent open-ship event where participated Natori, our award-winning container carrier.

As mentioned in the previous news reporting Natori, a container carrier built last year by Kyokuyo Shipyard Corporation, won the "Award for Development of Technology that Reduces the Environmental Impact for Logistic Operations", the same ship has now been awarded the "Best Small Cargo Ship" in the 2015 Japanese Ship of the Year event hosted by the Japan Society of Naval Architects and Ocean Engineers (JASNAOE), and the award ceremony was held on July 7, 2016.

Imoto Lines, Ltd., as owner of the container ship "Natori", won the "Award for Development of Technology that Reduces the Environmental Impact for Logistic Operations" at the 17th Logistics Environment Awards, organized by Japan Association for Logistics and Transport (JALoT).

On May 13, we had a cloudless day for the naming and delivery ceremonies of S524, the second 11,000m3 L.P.G. carrier for EPIC Gas Ltd.

Do you know Japanese school year ends in March and most of Japanese companies hire March graduates to join them in April? Kyokuyo Shipyard is no exception, as the company welcomed 7 new recruits this April.

As pre-noticed in our news206, Kyokuyo President Katsuhiko Ochi gave a seminar "Trying to be a global technology leader among the builders of small ships - the answer is blowin' in the wind" at SEA JAPAN 2016.

Kyokuyo's first product for 2016 was an 11,000m3 liquefied gas carrier S-523, for Epic Gas Ltd. with headquarters in Singapore.

Kyokuyo President Katsuhiko Ochi will give a seminar "Trying to be a global technology leader among the builders of small ships - the answer is blowin' in the wind" at SEA JAPAN 2016.

In this issue, we introduce you to "Seiseiryo", Kyokuyo's corporate dormitory for single employees.

Kyokuyo's last ship for 2015 was a 540TEU container carrier "Natori" (S-522, 7,390grt x 136m overall length), which the company had built based on an order placed in December 2013 by Imoto Lines, Ltd., of Kobe, a pioneer of coastal feeder service in Japan.

Dear customers, friends and readers, I wish all of you a most happy and healthy new year!