On April 1, NYK welcomed recruits at a ceremony held at the company’s Tokyo head office. Below is a translation of the address given by NYK president Takaya Soga.


President’s Speech

Good morning, everyone. Today, we welcome 85 new members who have joined us and become our new colleagues. On behalf of over 40,000 people in the NYK Group, I would like to warmly welcome you all.

Today, as you begin your journey with the NYK Group, I would like to share a few words with you as a senior member of our company.

NYK was founded in 1885, and we celebrated our 140th anniversary last year. Our company is one of the founding companies of the Mitsubishi Group, and notable entrepreneurs from the Meiji era, such as Yataro Iwasaki and Eiichi Shibusawa, were deeply involved in our foundation. Looking back on our long history, we have overcome numerous hardships, contributed to the development of the global economy, and supported people’s daily lives. One of the significant hardships was World War II. In this war, we lost the precious lives of 5,312 employees, mainly seafarers, and 172 ships having a total tonnage of 1.02 million tons. After the war, we were forced to start again in a challenging environment where we could not receive any war compensation. However, thanks to the tireless efforts of our predecessors, we managed to return to the international community. Since then, we have overcome other major challenges, including the rapid appreciation of the yen following the Plaza Accord in 1985, the global financial crisis in 2008, and the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011.

I believe the reason the NYK Group has continued to exist for over 140 years is that we have always responded to society's needs at the time. In the Meiji era, we opened international routes to raise Japan’s global standing and to contribute to the nation's modernization. After the war, we played an essential role in supporting Japan’s rapid economic growth through trade. Even during major social challenges such as the Great East Japan Earthquake, the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine military conflict, the hostilities in the Gaza Strip, and most recently, the ongoing military tensions involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, we have continued to deliver energy, medical supplies, and daily necessities to people around the world, protecting their lifelines. Currently, several of our vessels are unable to pass through the Strait of Hormuz and are staying inside the Persian Gulf. We are doing our utmost to ensure that food, water, and medicines do not run short on board, but the prolonged tension is causing significant stress for the crew, and we are concerned about their mental well-being. We are praying for the safety and early evacuation of as many merchant ships as possible from the Gulf.

We have always inherited the mission of supporting the happiness and prosperity of people around the world through international shipping and logistics. Our group’s mission, “Bringing value to life,” truly expresses our history and pride. We will do what we can to contribute to the restoration of an international society where people can live in peace.

Fiscal 2026 marks the final year of our current medium-term management plan. In March 2023, we announced our four-year plan, “Sail Green, Drive Transformation 2026 — A Passion for Planetary Wellbeing,” with a vision for 2030: "We go beyond the scope of a comprehensive global logistics enterprise to co-create value required for the future by advancing our core business and growing new ones." We have been executing various action plans toward this goal. I encourage you all to review this plan. As this is the final year, I hope you will help bring it to fruition.

Finally, please never forget to be grateful to those who have supported you so far and work energetically with passion. To all of you who are joining us in the 141st year since our founding, let’s do our best together.


Rerated Information

Medium-Term Management Plan "Sail Green, Drive Transformations 2026 - A Passion for Planetary Wellbeing -"