Both total load of ships entering ports and total treatment amount of ship's cargo in the Seto Inland Sea reached to 50 % of those in Japan in 1995 as shown in Figure 2-9 and 2-10. There are many ships through the key straits. For example, 1,200 ships average in one day, which include large ships and ships with explosives and combustibles, navigate through Akashi Strait. Also, 660 ships navigate through Wuraga Channel at the mouth of Tokyo Bay and 920 ships do through Irako Channel at the mouth of Ise Bay.
Number of the ships entering the ports and the state of the ship's cargo of the prefectures are summarized in Table 2-1. And ports location and the navigation routes are illustrated in Figure 2-11.
The Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, which hit in the early morning on January 17 in 1995, destroyed most of the facilities in Kobe Port. With regard to the number of the arrival foreign ships and the import and export amount, statistical data published by Kobe Customhouse shows that the former in January 1996 recovered to 80 % of that in January 1994. As for the latter, the export amount has recovered to around 90 % and the import has recovered to 106 % of that in January 1994 respectively, mainly container-ships and huge ships with more than 30,000 total tons.
Obviously, the Seto Inland Sea play the important role concerning the marine transportation in the west part area of Japan.
Note: after data by Ministry of Transport
Figure 2-9 Trend of Total Loads of Ships Entering Ports
in the 11 Coastal Prefectures of the Seto Inland Sea
Note: after data by Ministry of Transport
Figure 2-10 Trend of Total Treatment Amount of Ship's Cargo
in the 11 Coastal Prefectures of the Seto Inland Sea
|
Pref. etc.
|
Number of Arrival Ships (thousand ships)
|
Tons of Entering Ships (million tons)
|
Tretment Amount of Cargo (million tons)
|
||||||
| Fiscal Year |
1995
|
1994
|
1993
|
1995
|
1994
|
1993
|
1995
|
1994
|
1993
|
| All over Japan |
7,102
|
7,311
|
7,243
|
4,063
|
4,148
|
4,037
|
3,418
|
3,399
|
3,267
|
| Osaka |
145
|
146
|
147
|
280
|
223
|
223
|
220
|
178
|
176
|
| Hyogo |
451
|
473
|
471
|
377
|
532
|
527
|
293
|
373
|
361
|
| Wakayama |
143
|
145
|
140
|
58
|
57
|
56
|
62
|
56
|
53
|
| Okayama |
211
|
234
|
190
|
136
|
134
|
127
|
173
|
169
|
155
|
| Hiroshima |
922
|
885
|
845
|
241
|
247
|
229
|
157
|
154
|
149
|
| Yamaguchi |
213
|
220
|
184
|
117
|
114
|
119
|
137
|
135
|
133
|
| Tokushima |
83
|
109
|
110
|
33
|
34
|
35
|
270
|
23
|
23
|
| Kagawa |
297
|
306
|
312
|
129
|
138
|
142
|
127
|
129
|
123
|
| Ehime |
536
|
625
|
633
|
203
|
210
|
207
|
110
|
106
|
104
|
| Fukuoka |
141
|
142
|
139
|
172
|
163
|
159
|
170
|
161
|
158
|
| Oita |
144
|
147
|
139
|
116
|
113
|
108
|
127
|
130
|
125
|
| Seto Inland Sea |
3,286
|
3,432
|
3,310
|
1,862
|
1,965
|
1,932
|
1,846
|
1,614
|
1,560
|
| (Ratio to all over Japan %) |
(43.3)
|
(46.9)
|
(45.7)
|
(45.8)
|
(47.4)
|
(47.9)
|
(54.0) |
(47.5)
|
(47.8)
|
Note: after data by Ministry of transport
Figure 2-11 Ports and Navigation Routes in the Seto Inland Sea on December 1 in 1997