is a privately owned Japanese cruiseferry operator connecting the cities of Nagoya, Sendai, and Tomakomai. It is a subsidiary of the Nagoya-based Meitetsu Group, a group of companies that focuses primarily on rail transport in the Chūkyō metropolitan area.
History Taiheiyō Ferry was first founded as in 1970, operating a line between Nagoya and Ōita City with the Arkas. A stop in Nachikatsuura, Wakayama was added on May 3, 1975.
The current route between Nagoya, Sendai, and Tomakomai began in 1973.
In 1982, the Meitetsu Group acquired the Taiheiyō Enkai Ferry and renamed it to its current name.
Routes Taiheiyō Ferry operates a single regular route between Nagoya, Sendai, and Tomakomai. Ships operate every day between Sendai and Tomakomai, and every other day between Nagoya and Sendai. Out of the three ships the company operates, only the Kiso and Ishikari stop at Nagoya. The company also operates seasonal routes to Ise Bay, Kōchi, Okinawa, and the Bonin Islands.
The 1,330 km Nagoya–Sendai–Tomakomai route, running between Central Japan and Hokkaido, takes approximately 40 hours and is the longest domestic ferry route in Japan.
Fleet Current fleet Taiheiyō Ferry has operated a total of twelve ships, three of which are in operation: the Kiso, Ishikari, and Kitakami, which are named after the Kiso, Ishikari, and Kitakami rivers, respectively. The names are chosen to represent each region (Chūbu, Hokkaido, and Tōhoku) that the ferry serves.
All ships are equipped with dining rooms and rooms for lodging.
+ShipBuiltBuilderGross TonageLengthWidthPassengersVehiclesImageKiso (2nd generation)July 2004Mitsubishi Heavy IndustriesShimonoseki Shipyard15,795 tons199.9 m27.0 m800 people113 passenger cars188 trucksIshikari (3rd generation)March 2011Mitsubishi Heavy IndustriesShimonoseki Shipyard15,762 tons199.9 m27.0 m783 people100 passenger cars189 trucksKitakami (2nd generation)January 2019Mitsubishi Heavy IndustriesShimonoseki Shipyard13,694 tons192.5 m27.0 m535 people146 passenger cars166 trucks
Former fleet +ShipBuilderEntered serviceLeft serviceNotesArkasSetoda Shipyard19721987Sold to Strintzis LinesAlbireoSetoda Shipyard19731989Sold to Strintzis LinesAlnaslNHI CorporationToyama Shipyard19731975Sold to Nihon Car FerryArgoNHI CorporationToyama Shipyard19731980Sold to Kansai KisenIshikari (1st generation)Naikai Zosen CorporationSetoda Shipyard19751991Sold to Strintzis LinesDaisetsuNaikai Zosen CorporationSetoda Shipyard19751985Sold to Higashi Nihon FerryKiso (1st generation)Mitsubishi Heavy IndustriesShimonoseki Shipyard19872004Sold to Hellenic SeawaysIshikari (2nd generation)Mitsubishi Heavy IndustriesKobe Shipyard19892011Sold to Golden Spring EnterpriseKitakami (1st generation)Mitsubishi Heavy IndustriesShimonoseki Shipyard19892019Scrapped
Incidents During the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake, the Kitakami (1st generation) was moored at Sendai. The Kitakami managed to escape to sea before the ensuing tsunami, but Taiheiyō Ferry's terminal was heavily damaged along with the rest of the Port of Sendai. 123 cars belonging to the company and most of the equipment on shore were lost. Regular services to Sendai resumed on June 5, and repairs to the terminal building were completed on July 8.
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