News
In 2011, Japanese ports handled an all-time high of 17.51 million TEUs of oceangoing containers, increasing 3.9% from the previous year, according to a preliminary report released by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism （MLIT）.
Container throughput plunged in 2008 in the aftermath of the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. of the U.S., but has been on a recovery track since 2010, when 16.58 million TEUs were processed.
The Keihin ports （Tokyo and Yokohama） held a share of 39.7%, handling 6.96 million TEUs, and the Hanshin ports （Osaka and Kobe）, one fourth, 4.27 million TEUs.
The combined volume of containerized shipments moved to and from six ports on the Pacific Ocean side that were devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011 （Hachinohe, Ofunato, Sendai Shiogama, Onahama, Ibaraki and Kashima） declined 66.5% from a year earlier to 118,000 TEUs.
On the other hand, throughput was favorable at ports in Tohoku prefectures on the Sea of Japan side that processed containers in place of afflicted ports on the Pacific Ocean side. For example, Akita handled 62,500 TEUs, soaring 26.8% on year; Sakata, 13,200 TEUs, 89.8% and Niigata, 198,000 TEUs, 21.9%.
