The Shimizu Port Authority (Japanese) is the port authority responsible for managing and operating the Port of Shimizu. In 1962, the Port of Shimizu began to implement its first five-year plan. Regular passenger services between the Port of Shimizu and Okinawa began in 1963, and trade met an all-time high in 1964. In the late 1960s, Okitsu Piers No. 1 and 2 began operations, the Tomei Expressway opened, and the first 100,000-ton tanker called at port.

In 1970, the Pacific Banker, a 14.1-thousand-ton North American container ship called at the Port of Shimizu, and the first container loading was completed for the Hawaiian Monarch at Okitsu Pier. The decade of the 1970s saw many new changes at the Port of Shimizu. The prefecture constructed an inland container terminal. Liner services to Nahotoka in the Soviet Union and to North America’s west coast began. The Sodeshi Pier No. 1 was completed. The first Indonesian container ship arrived at the Port of Shimizu, and the first African ship, the Alpen, called at port.

The 1980s saw much activity as well. The Sodeshi Pier No. 1 Container Terminal was completed, and the first container vessel from Bangkok arrived. Liner service to eastern North American began, and the first ship arrived from South Africa. Ships began making regular calls from Hong Kong and Taiwan, and the Port of Shimizu established an international friendship agreement with the Port of Qingdao in China. The larger container ships began to call at port from Europe.

In 1990, the Queen Elizabeth II called at the Port of Shimizu. Throughout the 1990s, new heavy-duty cargo-handling equipment was added to serve the Panamax vessels arriving at port. In 1999, the Port of Shimizu celebrated its 110th Anniversary in August. In 2003, the Shin-Okitsu Pier opened, and a large x-ray scanner for containers began operating in 2004. The Shimizu Marine Terminal in Shizuoka City serves passengers.

Since container services began at the Port of Shimizu in 1970, the port has focused on developing container cargo activities in the Hamamatsu area. A container terminal was built at the Okitsu Wharf, followed by a new container terminal at the Sodeshi Wharf. The Shin-Okitsu International Container Terminal began operating in 2002, and the Port of Shimizu continues to upgrade the container yard. With a berth of 350  meters and a depth of 15 meters, the Shin-Okitsu container terminal can accommodate the latest and largest container vessels, and it has capacity to handle eight thousand TEU vessels.

The Port of Shimizu offers one of the most sophisticated logistics information systems in the country. The technology controls port information from ship documentation to container distributions. The Port of Shimizu also offers very competitive rates for the use of gantry cranes, wharfage, and harbor dues.

With a history going back to the 7th Century, the Port of Shimizu has long engaged in international trade. The opening of the modern Port of Shimizu coincided with industrialization and the arrival of the steam engine. Starting with exporting green tea, the Port of Shimizu has expanded to handle a variety of products made in Shizuoka and the surrounding area. Some of these include citrus fruits, canned goods, musical instruments, and motorcycles. With growth of container traffic, the Port of Shimizu has become an important exporter and an importer of nationally-needed raw materials like timber, bauxite, and soy beans.

Review and History    Port Commerce    Cruising and Travel    Satellite Map    Contact Information