With foreign shipowners' growing interest in Japanese-built vessels, it is said that shipowners are paying frequent visits to Japanese shipyards.
Japanese shipbuilders are seeing sharply increased inquiries for newbuildings, mostly for eco-friendly and high-efficient bulkers. Moreover, local sources said, "Newbuilding inquiries are almost as same as seen from the shipbuilding boom period several years ago."
Also, due to newbuilding inquiry surges towards Japanese yards, it is likely to see a reappearance of “Japan Premium” that a premium is added to newbuilding prices for Japanese-built vessels.
Shipowners who visited Chinese shipbuilders before are seen to have changed their ways to Japan and thus, Japanese builders are able to see a profitability improvement amid currently weak yen in spite of low newbuilding prices.