Setouchi Craft Co., Ltd.

Setouchi Craft Co., Ltd. (瀬戸内クラフト株式会社) is a Japanese shipbuilding company headquartered at 9210 Mukaihigashimachi, Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, on the northern shore of Mukai-shima facing the Onomichi Channel. The company is dedicated to the development and construction of aluminium-alloy vessels, a niche in which it has built a broad portfolio of passenger ferries, customs surveillance and quarantine craft, police patrol boats, fisheries enforcement vessels, fire and rescue boats, survey and training ships, and general workboats. Its official website presents aluminium alloy as a material whose high speed, seakeeping, durability and recyclability are recognised worldwide, and states that its vessels have earned strong evaluations from shipowners in terms of quality and price. The present company traces its roots to Sanyo Machinery Industry Co., Ltd. (山陽機械工業株式会社), established in September 1944 to manufacture ship outfitting products. In February 1967, with technical cooperation from Sky Aluminium (now UACJ), Sanyo Machinery began developing small aluminium-alloy boats of 15 to 25 feet. In September 1968 it founded Setouchi Industry Co., Ltd. (瀬戸内工業株式会社) and transferred all operations to it. In December 1970 the company built the 11-metre traffic boat "Kamome", its first full-fledged aluminium-alloy vessel, and went on to build numerous traffic, warning, surveillance and passenger craft. In July 1980 Setouchi Craft Co., Ltd. was established and inherited the entire shipbuilding division. In June 1989 it became part of the Sky Aluminium group; when Sky Aluminium was reorganised into Furukawa-Sky in March 2003 as part of Furukawa Electric's light metals restructuring, the shipbuilding division's operations were carried over. From 2012 to 2015 the company acquired part of the former Kuwata pier and adjacent land plus two factory buildings, added a slipway, rebuilt factories and constructed a new office, investing in its main works. In the 1990s Setouchi Craft, together with the University of Tokyo and Hitachi Zosen, developed the hydrofoil catamaran high-speed craft "SUPER JET". Its 2004-delivered vessel "Gurabaa" for Nomo Shosen won the Ship of the Year 2004 award. In recent years the company has built customs and fisheries enforcement craft capable of maximum speeds exceeding 40 knots, described as the fastest in Japan. Its main works on Mukai-shima includes a 50 m × 8 m slipway and an indoor 48 m × 6 m building berth, and the site adjoins the Onomichi Dockyard Mukai-shima works to the east. The company operates four main factory buildings (A, B, C and D) and other facilities, and maintains a Facebook page. Its registered capital is 15 million yen and it employs 28 people, with sales offices in Tokyo and Osaka.

Setouchi Craft Co., Ltd. is a shipbuilding company based in Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, whose corporate lineage begins with Sanyo Machinery Industry Co., Ltd. (山陽機械工業株式会社), established in September 1944 to manufacture ship outfitting products. In February 1967, Sanyo Machinery, drawing on technical cooperation from Sky Aluminium (now UACJ), began development of small aluminium-alloy boats in the 15 to 25 foot range. In September 1968 it founded Setouchi Industry Co., Ltd. (瀬戸内工業株式会社) and transferred all of its operations to the new company. In December 1970, Setouchi Industry built the 11-metre traffic boat "Kamome", its first full-scale aluminium-alloy vessel; thereafter it constructed numerous traffic boats, warning boats, surveillance boats and passenger vessels. In July 1980, Setouchi Craft Co., Ltd. was established and inherited the entire shipbuilding division. In June 1989 the company became part of the Sky Aluminium group. In March 2003, as part of Furukawa Electric's light metals business reorganisation, Sky Aluminium transitioned to Furukawa-Sky, and the shipbuilding division's operations were carried over in that process. From 2012 to 2015 the company acquired part of the former Kuwata pier, adjacent land and two factory buildings, added a slipway, rebuilt factories and constructed a new office, making capital investments in its main works. In the 1990s, Setouchi Craft jointly developed the hydrofoil catamaran high-speed craft "SUPER JET" with the University of Tokyo and Hitachi Zosen. The vessel "Gurabaa", delivered in 2004 to Nomo Shosen, won the Ship of the Year 2004 award. In recent years the company has built customs and fisheries enforcement craft with maximum speeds exceeding 40 knots, described as the fastest in Japan. Its main works on Mukai-shima faces the Onomichi Channel and adjoins the Onomichi Dockyard Mukai-shima works to the east; it includes a 50 m × 8 m slipway and an indoor 48 m × 6 m building berth. The company operates four main factory buildings (A, B, C and D) and other facilities, and maintains a Facebook page. Its registered capital is 15 million yen and it employs 28 people, with sales offices in Tokyo and Osaka.

• 2025

  Announced small shipbuilding business registration certificate.

• 2023

  The vessel "Sea Spica" was active at the G7 Hiroshima Summit.

• 2012

  Start of acquisition of former Kuwata pier land and facilities and main works investment (through 2015).

• 2004

  Delivered "Gurabaa" to Nomo Shosen; won Ship of the Year 2004.

• 2003

  Sky Aluminium transitions to Furukawa-Sky; shipbuilding operations carried over.

• 1999

  Delivered a 43.5-knot customs surveillance craft, the fastest in the business.

• 1998

  Delivered the 43 m aluminium-alloy passenger ship "Ocean Princess" to Nomo Shosen, the largest aluminium vessel in Japan at the time.

• 1992

  Joint development of the "SUPER JET" hydrofoil catamaran high-speed craft with the University of Tokyo and Hitachi Zosen.

• 1989

  Company becomes part of the Sky Aluminium group.

• 1980

  Setouchi Craft Co., Ltd. established, inheriting the entire shipbuilding division.

• 1970

  First full-scale aluminium-alloy vessel, the 11 m traffic boat "Kamome", built.

• 1968

  Shin-Kuwata factory (approx. 1,500 m²) completed.

• 1968

  Setouchi Industry Co., Ltd. founded; all operations transferred to it.

• 1967

  With technical cooperation from Sky Aluminium, Sanyo Machinery begins development of 15–25 ft aluminium-alloy boats.

• 1944

  Sanyo Machinery Industry Co., Ltd. established to manufacture ship outfitting products.

Specialist builder of aluminium-alloy vessels, emphasising high speed, seakeeping, durability and recyclability, with a record of delivering to government agencies and ferry operators across Japan.

• SUPER JET

• Gurabaa

• Sea Spica

• Kamome

1. 1瀬戸内クラフト株式会社｜アルミニウム合金製船舶の開発・建造setouchi-craft.co.jp
2. 2瀬戸内クラフト株式会社 会社案内setouchi-craft.co.jp
3. 3Setouchi Craft - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4瀬戸内クラフト - Wikipediaja.wikipedia.org