Top 20 Largest Ports in Japan

Japan, an island nation situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, spans across the Sea of Okhotsk, East China Sea, and Taiwan, bordered by the Sea of Japan to the west. Comprising four main islands – Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu – Japan boasts a strategic maritime position.

With a network of 1020 ports, including 22 special-purpose main ports, 106 major ports, and 892 local ports, Japan's maritime infrastructure is extensive. The government and port-management organizations jointly funded approximately two-thirds of the development of the country's major economic ports.

From 2008 to 2019, Japan's Container Port Throughput averaged 20,228,698.125 Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs). In this compilation, we present the top 20 ports and terminals in Japan, highlighting their TEU traffic, distinctive advantages, features, and more.

1.Yokohama Port:

Container throughput: approximately 4.5 million TEU

As one of the largest ports in Japan, Yokohama Port is located in the southern part of Tokyo Bay, adjacent to the city of Tokyo. It is an important hub for international trade and maritime transport, handling a large number of container and automobile import and export operations.

2.Port of Tokyo:

Container throughput: approximately 4 million TEU

Tokyo Port is located in the northeastern part of Tokyo Bay and is the main port in Tokyo and surrounding areas. As an important node in the international shipping and supply chain, the Port of Tokyo handles a large number of containers and liquefied natural gas (LNG) and other cargo.

3.Port of Nagoya:

Container throughput: approximately 3.5 million TEU

Nagoya Port is located on the east side of Ise Bay near Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture. As the largest port in central Japan, Nagoya Port plays a key role in supplying the automobile manufacturing and steel industries and is also the main export port in central Japan.

4.Port of Kobe:

Container throughput: approximately 3 million TEU

Kobe Port is located in the northeast of Osaka Bay, adjacent to the center of Kobe. As one of the largest ports in western Japan, the Port of Kobe is an important international trade port and handles a large number of container and bulk carrier transportation operations.

5.Port of Osaka:

Container throughput: approximately 2.8 million TEU

Osaka Port is located on the east side of Osaka Bay, adjacent to the center of Osaka. As one of the major ports in western Japan, Osaka Port is the main trade and logistics center for Osaka City and surrounding areas, and is also one of Japan's important import ports.

6.Port of Chiba:

Container throughput: approximately 2.5 million TEU

Chiba Port is located on the south shore of Tokyo Bay, adjacent to the center of Chiba. As an important logistics center in Tokyo and surrounding areas, Chiba Port is an important import port for petroleum and chemicals in Japan and also handles a large amount of container cargo.

7.Port of Kawasaki:

Container throughput: approximately 2.3 million TEU

Kawasaki Port is located on the west side of Tokyo Bay, adjacent to the center of Kawasaki. As an important industrial port, Kawasaki Port mainly handles the petroleum processing and chemical industries and is an important petroleum and chemical import port in Japan.

8.Port of Nagasaki:

Container throughput: approximately 2 million TEU

Nagasaki Port is located in the southwest of Nagasaki City, facing the East China Sea. As one of the major ports in the Nishi Kyushu region, Nagasaki Port is mainly used for importing iron ore, coal and exporting ships and other goods.

9.Port of Shin-Yokohama:

Container throughput: approximately 1.8 million TEU

New Yokohama Port is located in the south of Yokohama City, adjacent to the center of Yokohama. As an important port for the automobile manufacturing industry, Shin-Yokohama Port handles large volumes of automobiles and container cargo, and is also an import and export port for machinery, equipment, and electronic products.

10.Port of Funabashi:

Container throughput: approximately 1.6 million TEU

Urayasu Port is located in the southern part of Tokyo Bay, close to the center of Tokyo. As one of the important ports in Tokyo Bay, Urayasu Port mainly handles the import and export of petroleum products, chemicals, steel and other goods.

11.Port of Hamamatsu:

Container throughput: approximately 1.5 million TEU

Hamamatsu Port is located in the center of Shizuoka Prefecture and is one of the major industrial cities in the central region. As a center for the automobile manufacturing industry, Hamamatsu Port handles large quantities of containerized cargo of auto parts and finished cars, and is also an important import and export port for machinery, equipment, and electronic products.

12.Port of Kanagawa:

Container throughput: approximately 1.3 million TEU

Kanagawa Port is located in the southern part of Tokyo Bay, close to Japan's largest consumer market. As one of the important ports in the Kanto region, Kanagawa Port handles large volumes of import and export cargo, especially chemicals, petroleum products, and consumer goods.

13.Port of Kitakyushu:

Container throughput: approximately 1.2 million TEU

Kitakyushu Port is located in the northern part of Kyushu Island and is one of the largest ports in Western Japan. Its main strength lies in handling export cargo of steel products and heavy machinery equipment. At the same time, due to its convenient geographical location, Kitakyushu Port is also an important hub for trade with neighboring countries such as mainland China and South Korea.

14.Port of Aomori:

Container throughput: approximately 1 million TEU

Aomori Port is located in the northern part of Honshu Island, Japan and is one of the largest ports in the Northeast region. It mainly handles export cargoes of forest products and fishery products, including timber, pulp and fish. Aomori Port is also a hub for important routes connecting the islands of Hokkaido and Honshu.

15.Port of Mobara:

Container throughput: approximately 900,000 TEU

Mohara Port is located on the south bank of Tokyo Bay and is one of the important ports in the Kanto region. It has significant strengths in chemical products and petroleum products, while also handling the import and export of goods such as steel and consumer goods.

16.Port of Iwate:

Container throughput: approximately 800,000 TEU

Iwate Port is located in the coastal area of Iwate Prefecture and is one of the important ports in the Northeast region. Its main advantage lies in the handling of resource cargo such as timber, ore and agricultural products, while also supporting the development of the fishing and shipping industries.

17.Port of Suzaki:

Container throughput: approximately 700,000 TEU

Advantages and characteristics: Suzhou Port is located in the coastal area and is one of the important ports in the Kanto region. It mainly handles chemicals, building materials, food and other goods, and is also one of the important pillars of the local economy.

18.Port of Ibaraki:

Container throughput: approximately 600,000 TEU

Ibaraki Port is located in the coastal area of Ibaraki Prefecture and is one of the major ports in the Kanto region. Its strength lies in handling cargo such as soybeans, food and auto parts, while also being an important export port for local industry and agriculture.

19.Port of Nagasaki:

Container throughput: approximately 500,000 TEU

Nagasaki Port is located in the southwest of Nagasaki City, facing the East China Sea. As one of the major ports in the Nishi Kyushu region, Nagasaki Port is mainly used for importing iron ore, coal and exporting ships and other goods.

20.Port of Niihama:

Container throughput: approximately 400,000 TEU

Niihama Port is located in the eastern part of Ehime Prefecture and is one of the major ports in the Shikoku region. It mainly handles cargoes such as metals, chemicals and petroleum products, and is also an important local export port.

Bill Guo is a senior expert in logistics and supply chain. As a JMD sales manager and physical expert, he plays a key role in the development of the industry. He has more than ten years of experience in the logistics industry. His expertise has repeatedly delivered high-quality services to customers. Bill Guo's writings show his deep understanding of the industry. They offer valuable advice and leadership to customers and peers.

Bill  Guo

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