Nippon Maru Calls at Port Louis

The "Mauritius Precious Cruise" aboard the Nippon Maru (Note 1), operated by Mitsui O.S.K. Passenger Line, Ltd., called at Port Louis, Mauritius on Thursday, January 5, 2023.

The Nippon Maru departed the port of Yokohama on Thursday, December 15, 2022, calling at Ishigaki Island, Singapore, and the Maldives before docking in Mauritius for four days from Thursday, January 5 to Sunday, January 8, 2023. The ship was then slated to call at the ports of Toamasina in Madagascar, and return to Yokohama via Singapore on Tuesday, January 31, 2023. This was the Nippon Maru's first call at Mauritius in 12 years, and a host of events celebrated the ship's visit.

On Friday, January 6, 2023, a reception was held at the Christian Decotter Cruise Terminal in Port Louis to commemorate the port call, co-hosted by the Embassy of Japan in Mauritius and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL). The welcome speech was delivered by the Honourable Louis Steven Obeegadoo, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism in Mauritius. Special guests on hand included government officials and business leaders in Mauritius, as well as Mr. Shuichiro Kawaguchi, Ambassador of Japan to Mauritius. Mr. Junichiro Ikeda, the Chairman of the Board of MOL, expressed his gratitude for the nation's continued support and conveyed a message of hope for the further growth of the tourism industry and friendly relations between Mauritius and Japan.

On Saturday, January 7, 2023, "Welcome to Mauritian Blue," a lecture on marine ecosystems and people's lives, was presented onboard the Nippon Maru, using underwater images of Mauritius taken by Assistant Professor Naoki Tojo of Faculty of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, who received a grant from the authorized public trust MOL Mauritius International Fund for Natural Environment Recovery and Sustainability (Note 2) for the project.

On Sunday, January 8, 2023, the day of departure from Mauritius, a tour was organized to visit a local NGO supported by the MOL Charitable Trust (Note 3), and passengers enjoyed exchanges with local people.

As part of MOL's commitment to sustainability issues, the company will continue activities to promote the growth of local communities and the restoration and conservation of the environment in Mauritius, as well as publicize the attractions of Mauritius to a wider audience.

(Note 1)
For more information on the "Mauritius Precious Cruise" aboard the Nippon Maru, please refer to the May 12, 2022, press release.

(Note 2)
For details of the authorized public trust MOL Mauritius International Fund for Natural Environment Recovery and Sustainability, please refer to the following website.
MOL Mauritius International Fund (mol-mauritius-fund.jp).

(Note 3)
Please refer to the press release dated June 21,2021, and the post dated December 24, 2021: [MOL Charitable Trust selected projects for funding], and the Fund page on the web site.