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Houseflags of Japanese shipping companies

Last modified: 2023-06-03 by zachary harden
Keywords: maritime shipping | mon |
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Aall & Co

Aall & Co. 
image contributed by Jan Mertens, 09 September 2008
Source: Aall & Co. website

From the company website

Aall & Co., Ltd. was founded as a trading company in Yokohama in 1904, and is one of the oldest foreign companies in Japan.
Today, Aall & Co., Ltd. has diversified into other areas of business. In addition to our shipping concerns, we are involved in financial services, and in the marketing and distribution of foreign products and services in Japan.
Aall Barwil Private Limited (Aall Barwil) a joint venture between Aall & Co. Ltd and Wilhelmsen Maritime Services (WMS) provides a complete range of ship agency services at ports throughout Japan.
Aall Group Inc., the holding company for the Aall companies is involved in international financial services, investment management, insurance, ship owning, real estate, and manufacturing and distribution.
Marine Services listed are: ship agency port services, ship broking, chartering, repair, survey and inspection, etc.
Aall & Co. has offices at Tokyo, Kobe, and Shikoku whereas the holding company is located at George Town, Cayman Islands.

Some highlights from the "About Us / History" section: founded in 1904 by Norwegian C.B. Aall offering trade and marine services. Shipping company Aall Shokai Kabushiki Kaisha founded in 1921. Intensive shipbroking activity. 1938, Mr Aall retires and returns to Norway. During World War II business is suspended but resumes, opening up shipbuilding contracting for major firms and becoming a top player in this field. Due to the 1980s economy slump, reorganization of business interests. From 1985 in cooperation with Barwil of Wilhelmsen finally leading to joint venture in 2006.
The flag is a blue pennant horizontally divided blue-white-blue with company name in red letters on white stripe.
Jan Mertens, 09 September 2008


Arimura Sangyo K.K.

[Arimura Sangyo] image by Jarig Bakker, 7 December 2005
Source: Brown's Flags and Funnels of Shipping Companies of the World [lgr95]

Naha - white flag, red circle, red "A".
Jarig Bakker, 7 December 2005


There is a report (26 June 1999) from the Okinawa Times concerning a possible bankruptcy of "one of the two major shipping companies in Okinawa".

The company owns three ships and has three leased ships in its fleet, moving cargo between Naha and major mainland ports such as Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, and Nagoya. It also has lines to Ishigaki and Miyako, and overseas routes to Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the Philippines.

Jan Mertens, 15 July 2006


Asahi Kaiun K.K.

[Asahi Kaiun K.K.] image by Phil Nelson

Asahi Kaiun K.K. This belongs to the company formed 1946 based Tokyo and still operating. The name is popular as I have traced 15 other companies bearing the same name at different locations, and there may be more, in Lloyds, although some of their entries in the late 1970s when they moved into the computer era got a bit confused.
Neale Rosanoski, 5 March 2003


Asahi Kisen K.K.

[Asahi Kisen K.K.] image by Jarig Bakker, 8 September 2005
Source: Brown’s Flags and Funnels of Shipping Companies of the World, 1995 [lgr95]

Kobe - white flag, red "A".
Jarig Bakker, 8 September 2005


Awaji Ferryboats K.K.

[Awaji Ferryboats]
image by Jarig Bakker, 1 November 2005
Source: Brown's Flags and Funnels Shipping Companies of the World [lgr95]

Kobe - Spanish-style Red-White-Red; on white big red "A".
Jarig Bakker, 19 November 2005


Awanokuni Kyodo Kisen K.K.

[Awanokuni Kyodo Kisen K.K.] image by Phil Nelson

Awanokuni Kyodo Kisen K.K. appears to have operated from circa World War 2 to the early 1970s.
Neale Rosanoski, 5 March 2003


Boyo Kisen K.K.

[Boyo Kisen K.K.]
image by Jarig Bakker, 1 February 2006
Source: Brown's Flags and Funnels of Shipping Companies of the World [lgr95]

Yamaguchi - Gambia-style White-Red-Blue-Red-White flag; in center white "B".
Jarig Bakker, 1 February 2006


Capt. Line

Capt. Line image by Eugene Ipavec, 15 November 2007

Capt. Line - the abbreviation for ‘Captain’ seems intentional - is a tourist shipping company active in the harbour of Osaka, Japan. The website is in Japanese only.

Besides touring Osaka harbour the firm seems to operate some fixed routes, one of them leading to and from Osaka Kaiyukan Aquarium, and to offer party excursions and charters.

The house flag - presented as a drawing - is blue bearing yellow captain’s rank stripes (at least I accept them as such), placed diagonally, and on some boats, i.e. stripes and flag painted on the hulls, and the flag itself on top. So it is real after all, not a fancy - rank stripes on a house flag are rare, but not unheard of.
Jan Mertens, 13 November 2007


Chihaku Ferry Service

Chihaku Ferry Service
image by Eugene Ipavec, 14 February 2009
Source: tt-museum.jp

I think this house flag represents the Chihaku Ferry Service active from 1923 till 1945, linking Wakkanai on Hokkaido to Otomari (now Korsakov) on Southern Sakhalin, then Karafuto Prefecture, Japan.

This ferry service operated in connection with the Japanese railroad system; due to harsh conditions in wintertime, the ships were also ice-breakers.

Quoting from Wikipedia: Koraskov (town):

There used to be Japan National Rail passenger ferry service from Wakkanai, called "Chihaku-Renrakusen (Chihaku Ferry Service)" in 1923-1945, which was linked from Japan's whole national rail network and to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (then called Toyohara).

So the figure in the house flag seems to be a rail. The colours are as yet unknown but may have been red on white, as is often seen.

Jan Mertens, 24 January 2009


Daido Kaiun K.K.

[Daido Kaiun K.K.] image by Phil Nelson

Diado Kaiun K.K. formed 1930 and merged into Japan Line Ltd. in 1964.
Neale Rosanoski, 5 March 2003


Diamond Ferry K.K.

[Diamond Ferry K.K.] image by Jarig Bakker, 19 December 2005
Source: Brown's Flags and Funnels of Shipping Companies of the World [lgr95]

Oita - red flag with a hoisttriangle reaching the fly, and a narrow yellow hoisttriangle; on white a black outlined dolphin (?) over a bit of black seaweed (?),
Jarig Bakker, 19 December 2005


Dowa Line Co., Ltd

[Dowa Line] image contributed by Jan Mertens, 30 April 2007
Source: Dowa Lines website

Dowa Line Co., Ltd is yet another Tokyo-based shipping company flying a simple house flag in the national colours - see the company homepage.

The flag is white, bearing a dashing red stylized initial ‘D’. The homepage lists various industrial and insurance firms as stockholders of Dowa which was founded in 1957 as Dowa Kaiun, starting out as a coastal shipping company operating "mini-bulkers". Cooperation with Indonesia, importing wood.

The firm was renamed Dowa Line Co. in 1979, founding US subsidiary two years later with a view to strategic expansion. Transports to and from North America include grain, wood. Real estate is a new field of business. (Most of the above gleaned from the ‘History’ section.)

About two dozen bulk carriers, all Japanese built, are listed in the ‘Fleet’ section’.
Jan Mertens, 30 April 2007


Eastern Car Liner Ltd.

[Eastern Car Liner]
image by Jarig Bakker, 19 November 2005
Source: Brown's Flags and Funnels Shipping Companies of the World [lgr95]

Tokyo - white flag, blue (kinda) "E".
Jarig Bakker, 19 November 2005


Everett-Orient Line Inc.

[Everett-Orient Line Inc.]
image by Jarig Bakker, 1 February 2006
Source: Brown's Flags and Funnels of Shipping Companies of the World [lgr95]

Tokyo - blue flag, white diamond, red "E".
Jarig Bakker, 1 February 2006