新日本海フェリー’s new vessel はまなす was unveiled in Osaka on 30 August 2026 and is scheduled to enter service on 1 September. It will operate on the Maizuru–Otaru route, the longest in the Sea of Japan, with service changing from あかしあ to はまなす, as with けやき, which entered service earlier.
新日本海フェリー’s new vessel 「はまなす」 was unveiled in Osaka on 30 August 2026 and is scheduled to make its debut on 1 September as the second vessel, approximately nine months after the debut of the first vessel, 「けやき」. It will operate on the Maizuru–Otaru route, the longest sea route in the Sea of Japan, with service changing from the existing vessel 「あかしあ」 to 「はまなす」. The vessel has a gross tonnage of 14,300, is 199 m long and 25.5 m wide, and can carry approximately 150 trucks and 30 passenger cars.
As for speed and energy-saving features, the service speed has been limited to 28.3 knots (approximately 52.4 km/h), compared with the previous vessels, reducing energy consumption by approximately 5%. The vessel has therefore been designed with an emphasis on economical operation. A newly introduced forward salon is arranged at the bow in a two-level atrium, while the perovskite solar cells on the deck are scheduled to be used on a trial basis as an auxiliary power source.