On March 14, NYK welcomed a total of eight students and parents from the Jacksonville Japanese School to board Apollon Leader, a pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) that was moored at the port of Jacksonville.

The Jacksonville Japanese School opened in 2011 in the U.S. state of Florida for children who can speak and understand Japanese at their appropriate grade levels, regardless of nationality, in addition to adults who have an interest in the language and culture. Since 2017, the school has received assistance from the government of Japan.

The ship tour was made possible through a partnership between the Honorary Consul of Japan in Jacksonville and a 54 year veteran of the Maritime Industry, Mr. Roy Schleicher, and NYK. On the day of the tour, JAXPORT (the Jacksonville Port Authority) assisted with the use of their tour bus and approvals to enter the terminal. Then Mr. Schleicher and the eight guests boarded the ship and were escorted by NYK staff.　
The children who participated in the tour asked active questions about how to become a seafarer, how they live on board, etc., and enjoyed seeing the inside of the ship, which they usually do not get to see.

NYK will continue to convey the appeal of the shipping industry and vessels to children of the next generation to help them deepen their familiarity with the industry.

<Outline of Vessel>
Length overall: 199.99 meters
Breadth: 32.26 meters
Gross tonnage: 60,213 tons
Number of cars loaded: 6,341
Year of Built: 2008
Flag: Panama
Ship management: Mitsubishi Ore Transport Co., Ltd.