Japanese shipping company Imoto Lines has revolutionized cargo ship design with a fleet of feeder vessels featuring a hemispherical bow, resembling the nose of a passenger jet.
This unique design isn’t just for looks — it delivers real-world performance benefits that have earned it widespread recognition.
In 2015, Kyokuyo shipyard in Yamaguchi, Japan, built the first SSS-feeder (Semi-Spherically Shaped Feeder) for Imoto Lines. Named Natori, this 600-TEU vessel was one of Japan’s largest feeder ships and the first to adopt the curved nose design.
As reported by the OC news channel, the innovative bow reduced air resistance by up to 50%, improving fuel efficiency and cutting harmful emissions.
Regardless of load conditions, fuel consumption was lowered by about 5%, making it an eco-friendly breakthrough in maritime transport.
Beyond fuel savings, Natori's design doubled its carrying capacity compared to similar-sized feeder vessels. It could transport 548 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), or around 500 fully loaded 20-ton containers — a massive efficiency boost in shipping logistics.
Imoto Lines quickly expanded the concept, commissioning two more airplane-nose vessels.
In 2018, the Nagara joined the fleet, followed by the larger S-562 Nogami in 2022, with an even greater 670 TEU capacity.
The aerodynamic bow of these ships earned Natori the prestigious "Ship of the Year" award from the Japan Society of Naval Architects and Oceanographers.
