About Hakodate Dock
Manufacturing with all our heart
Our company was established in 1896 (Meiji 29) in Hakodate, which overlooks the picturesque Tsugaru Strait. For over a century, we have been the largest heavy machinery manufacturer in northern Japan and have met to diverse needs of our customers. Our work spans across various fields, making us a large-scale industry with a significant impact on the local community. As a result, we have developed deep-seated relationships with the local community, and currently, more than 1 people work with us on a daily basis.
Using the technology and experience we have accumulated over the years, we will continue to pursue further studies and strive to meet your expectations.
Company motto
- Let's offer top notch work at budget-friendly prices.
- Let's do our best for the development of Hokkaido and Japan.
- Let's create a workplace where everyone is happy and satisfied with their relationship with us.
Technical capabilities
Craftsmanship
Our company takes pride in its technological capabilities, which have been developed over the years since the Meiji era. Our predecessors' ingenuity led to the creation of ships that have been widely praised in the shipping industry as the "Hakodate brand" by domestic and international ship owners. This has become a source of honor for our company, and we consider it to be our greatest strength and a valuable asset.
Inheriting this tradition of "technical capabilities" and continuing to evolve, we will continue to be the company of choice for customers in various fields such as ship construction, various inspections and repairs of ships and merchant ships, and the production of steel structure machinery.
Our People
Our company is located in northern Japan and specializes in shipbuilding. We are surrounded by magnificent natural beauty and benefit from a cool climate in the summer and little snow in the winter. This makes it an ideal environment for shipbuilding and repair work all year round.
Our company is located in an area that was once the last frontier of Japan, developed by our predecessors. The pioneering and mutual aid spirit is deeply rooted in the hearts of our employees.
As a group of engineers with a rich history, we take pride in upholding customer trust through our strict self-discipline and wholehearted manufacturing.
Process of building ships
All ships built by our company are made-to-order, and we handle everything from design to construction in-house, according to the requirements of the shipowner. The construction period for each ship typically takes about 1 months, and from design and bidding, it usually takes 9 to 2 years. Since we build on a single slipway, we deliver 3 to 1 ships annually.
History of Hakodate Dock
History
Our History
1896 Meiji 29
1903 Meiji 36
Bridge construction began, with the construction and assembly of railway bridge girders for the first bridge.
1940 Showa 15
1950 Showa 25
1951 Showa 26
1960 Showa 35
1984 Showa 59
2000 Heisei 12
2001 Heisei 13
2003 Heisei 15
Hakodate Shipyard acquired ISO 9001 and JIS Q9001.
2004 Heisei 16
2006 Heisei 18
2007 Heisei 19
2009 January 21
2009 January 21
2010 January 22
2012 January 24
2016 Heisei 28
1956
Cargo ship “EIRINI-L”
The block construction method was adopted for the first time. The Mishima-type ship had a gate-shaped derrick post, and was the forerunner of our company's full-fledged large-scale export ships after the war.
1956
1962
Specialized timber transport ship “EASTERN SAKURA”
It was the first newly built ship exclusively for importing logs from North America, making it a pioneer in specialized timber transport vessels.
1962
1964
Seikan RENRAKUSEN ``Matsumae Maru''
The Matsumae Maru was constructed in Hakodate, which is the hometown of the Seikan Ferry. This ship was equipped with state-of-the-art technology of its time and was considered a remarkable vessel, representing modern ships. Its elegant appearance earned it the nickname "Queen of the Straits".
1964
1967
Engine automation Panamax bulker “FOTINI L”
It was built as a Panamax bulker, an automated ship with no personnel in the engine control room.
1967
1969
Seikan Renrakusen “Oshimamaru”
This is a high-speed cargo ship built by our company to meet the cargo demands of the times and strengthen transportation along the Seikan route. In order to increase the freight car loading capacity, the total length is approximately 12.6m longer than the Matsumae Maru.
1969
1970
3,000DWT MINIBULCA “MINI LEO
From 1968 to 1975, more than 50 vessels were built. The design features an extremely wide ship (length-to-beam ratio = 4.1) with a box-shaped structure that uses flat surfaces on the hull as much as possible. River navigation was also considered.
1970
1970
Open-bottom earth carrier “Kaiyo Maru 2”
It is a self-propelled earth carrier that can hold up to 5,000 tons. At the time, Hakodate Dock owned a patent for a hydraulic device that could open and close the bottom of the ship.
1970
2000T offshore crane “KIRYU”
We have constructed many essential work vessels for our company throughout history, including offshore cranes, sand and earth carriers, pile driving vessels, suction dredgers, dipper dredgers, reclaimer vessels, crane vessels, self-lifting offshore platform rigs, etc.
1975
VLCC 25 ton tanker “AEGEAN SAILOR”
Three ships were built from 1972 to 1975.
1975
1981
St. Lawrence type bulk carrier “VIOLETTA”
More than 70 vessels were built from 1967 to 1984, and they received high acclaim in Europe and America as the 'H29' (Hakodate Type 29 Bulk Carrier). They played a prominent role mainly on the Great Lakes.
1981
1997
24,000DWT bulk carrier “SEA MAJESTY”
From 1991, when the 'Hakodate Dock' was restructured, to 1998, the dock boasted the construction of 24 ships in the 24,000 to 28,000 DWT class of cargo ships. Along with the next series of ships, 21 ships of the 32,000 DWT class built by 2004, these ships formed the foundation for subsequent growth.
1997
2005
32,000DWT bulk carrier “SUPER HANDY32” “YOUNG SPIRIT”
The 'SUPER HANDY32' series, which became a major bestseller with 67 ships built over ten years from the completion of the first vessel in 2004 to 2014, was a pioneer at the time, featuring an ultra-wide beam, shallow draft, and semi-box type cargo hold. It became the de facto standard for subsequent designs.
2005
2010
7,000 ton cement carrier “Pacific Breeze”
This cement carrier was built using the Super Eco Ship (SES) construction promotion system, aimed at reducing CO2 emissions and improving energy efficiency for domestic vessels. It features an electric propulsion system and a contra-rotating propeller line shaft (CRP) for enhanced environmental performance. Additionally, it incorporates abundant measures for crew environment and noise reduction using a rubber anti-vibration device for the main engine, serving as a pioneer for concept ships.
2010
2014
34,000DWT bulk carrier "HIGH BULK 34E"
Developed as a joint project with Group company Namura Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., this series was simultaneously constructed at both our company and Namura Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. from 2014 (Heisei 26) to 2020 (Reiwa 2), becoming a major hit with over 70 vessels built. This series, known as 32BC, not only retains the popularity of its timber-loading capacity, wide beam, and shallow draft but also achieves conflicting performance goals such as increasing cargo weight while reducing fuel consumption, maintaining ease of use and robustness.
2014
2020
38,000DWT bulk carrier “HIGH BULK 38E” “GLOBAL FOREST”
In the market for small bulk cargo ships, which is a main product for our company, there is a rapidly increasing demand for new products that are larger than before while improving fuel efficiency and complying with various new environmental regulations. Based on thorough domestic and international market research, we have developed new ships. While maintaining our tradition of timber loading and a wide shallow draft, we adopted a bulbless bow shape and energy-saving features, and complied with the latest environmental regulations such as EEDI. This has become the base model for our later flagship vessel, the 'HIGH BULK40E'.
2020