NYK Launches Hydrogen Fuel Cell Restaurant Ship for Tokyo Bay
Named on September 11 at Maehata Shipbuilding in Nagasaki Prefecture, Amane will carry about ninety seated guests and offer private-room butler service.
Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha has named and launched Amane, a new 480-gross-ton restaurant ship scheduled to begin operating primarily in Tokyo Bay in 2027. The approximately 90-seat vessel will replace Lady Crystal, the dinner cruise ship operated by NYK subsidiary the Cruise Club Tokyo, and will feature a hydrogen fuel cell system.
Amane is larger than the 346-gross-ton Lady Crystal, which entered service on May 8, 1990.
A new restaurant ship for Tokyo Bay
NYK Senior Managing Executive Officer Takuji Banno formally named the vessel during the Sept. 11 ceremony at Maehata Shipbuilding in Nagasaki Prefecture. Masamichi Katayama, founder and principal of design firm Wonderwall and Amane’s overall designer, performed the ceremonial rope-cutting.
Shimpei Terada, president of Tysons and Company, also attended. His company is responsible for designing the onboard guest experience.
Amane will operate from the Tennozu Isle waterfront district. Private-room guests will have access to dedicated butler service, while the dining program will continue NYK’s French culinary tradition.
The vessel measures about 48 meters overall, with a beam of 9.5 meters and a draft of 2.1 meters. Lady Crystal is 46.5 meters long and 8.8 meters wide, with the same published draft. Its listed passenger capacity is 150, compared with Amane’s planned capacity of about 90 seated guests.
Hydrogen fuel cell system planned
NYK said Amane will incorporate environmental technology connected with its goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. Fuel cell installations aboard ships are covered by interim International Maritime Organization guidelines approved in 2022. The guidance addresses system arrangement and installation, fire protection, gas detection and hydrogen storage. The IMO continued work on more detailed hydrogen-as-fuel guidance through 2025.
Outfitting continues toward 2027 delivery
Following the hull launch, Maehata Shipbuilding will proceed with interior outfitting and final systems installation at its Sasebo facilities. Delivery is scheduled for March 2027, with commercial service expected to begin in May.
