On April 3, NYK welcomed 62 recruits at a ceremony held at the company’s Tokyo head office. Below is a translation of the address given by NYK president Takaya Soga.

Good morning, everyone. I am NYK president Takaya Soga. On behalf of the 35,000 NYK Group members (52,000 including non-Japanese seafarers), I would like to extend a hearty welcome to the 62 of you who have joined us today.

As a senior member of the NYK Group, please allow me to say a few words as you take your first steps.

NYK was founded in 1885, so this year marks our 138th year of operation. The long voyage was not always smooth sailing. We encountered many difficulties, such as World War II, which was one of our most significant hardships. That war led to the loss of 172 ships of 1,020,000 tons and the precious lives of 5,312 staff members. After the war ended, we made a fresh start with no wartime compensation under extremely harsh conditions, and we continued to overcome adversity along the way, such as the 1985 Plaza Accord (causing rapid appreciation of the yen), the 2008 financial crisis, the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yet, the NYK Group has survived and continues to thrive because we have always responded to social demands at any given time. In the Meiji era (1868–1912), we pioneered diplomatic routes to improve Japan’s international standing and modernize the country. In the postwar period, we supported Japan’s reconstruction and rapid economic growth through trade. And we have continually delivered energy resources, medical supplies, and daily necessities worldwide, protecting society’s lifelines under our slogan of “Keep the logistics lifeline open!” — even during the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

We do this to fulfill our group’s mission, “Bringing value to life,” and we will continue to do so in the future.

In March, we announced our four-year medium-term management plan, “Sail Green, Drive Transformation 2026 — A Passion for Planetary Wellbeing,” setting forth our vision for 2030: “Go beyond the scope of a comprehensive global logistics enterprise to co-create value required for the future by advancing our core business and growing new ones.” To achieve our goals, we are starting a four-year action plan that will continue through fiscal 2026. I request that you read and fully understand the content of our plan.

Please work with energy and passion, and show gratitude to those who support you. I am also in my first year as president. Let’s work together and do our best.