World's First Commercial Operation of a Newly Built Domestic Container Ship with Advanced Autonomous Navigation Capabilities Equivalent to Level 4 Autonomous Driving

EIZO Corporation (Headquarters: Hakusan, Ishikawa Prefecture; President & COO: Masaki Ebisu) is a participant in the 'MEGURI2040' unmanned ship project promoted by The Nippon Foundation. As part of this project, the autonomous navigation demonstration experiments for the 'Genbu,' the only newly built domestic container ship designed for autonomous operation, have been completed. The vessel received certification for autonomous navigation from ClassNK on January 26 and passed the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's ship inspection as an autonomous vessel on January 28.

Following this, on January 30, 2026, the vessel began 'commercial operation' carrying general cargo on a regular route, operating at a level equivalent to Level 4 autonomous driving—a world first. With this commercial launch, the expansion of the social implementation of unmanned ships is expected to reduce the burden on crew members, promote work-style reform, stabilize logistics, and ultimately strengthen the competitiveness of Japan's shipbuilding and maritime industries.

*1 Research by The Nippon Foundation (as of January 2026). This is the world's first instance of 'steady practical operation' equivalent to Level 4 autonomous driving on a regular cargo route.

*2 Level 4 autonomous driving equivalent refers to a technological stage where full autonomous operation is partially possible. It refers to fully autonomous operation without human intervention in specific areas or conditions. (Definitions for autonomous ship operation are currently under discussion by the IMO and others; the automotive definition is used here for convenience.)

Reference: https://www.mlit.go.jp/common/001226541.pdf

*3 Unmanned Ship Project MEGURI2040: 'Technological Development Grant Program for Social Implementation of Unmanned Ships.' This is a grant system that supports technological development to promote the practical application of unmanned ships, fostering momentum for development in this field and accelerating the transformation of Japan's logistics, economy, and social infrastructure. A consortium named 'Designing the Future of Fully Autonomous Ships Plus' (DFFAS+), consisting of 53 diverse domestic companies, is working on the technological development of these unmanned ships.