Corporate History ｜KONDO KAIJI CO., LTD.

1901: Japan’s first state-run ironworks, Yawata Seitetsusho, started operation in the Yahata area.

1904: The company founder, a descendent of the famous Murakami Navy based in Ehime, established Kondo Gumi in the land of Wakamatsu-mura, Onga-gun, Fukuoka Prefecture (present-day Wakamatsu Ward, Kitakyushu City) for the business of shipbreaking, while also trading in Japanese sake, soy sauce, and miso.; Outbreak of Russo-Japanese War

1925: Kondo Gumi established its Maritime Division with the shipbreaking and removal of the coastal defense ship “Okinoshima”, which had participated in the Russo-Japanese war as a coastal defense ship belonging to the Baltic Fleet of Russia, but later renamed “Okinoshima” after its capture by the Japanese Navy. After World War I, the ship served as a training vessel for the Sasebo Marine Corps before being decommissioned in 1924. Although she was planned to be put on display in the memorial hall of the Battle of Tsushima by the War Relics Preservation Organization in the following year, she eventually ran aground in rough weather. It was our company that was put in charge of her dismantling and removal.; Conclusion of Convention Embodying Basic Rules of the Relations between Japan and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

1937: Salvage Division and the Cargo Handling Division established based on our expertise in floating, removal, and dismantling of ships, as well as operation of crane vessels.

1944: Conscription as salvage unit into the Akatsuki Corps of the Imperial Japanese Army. All company employees, including company representatives, relocated to Kure in Hiroshima together with our ships and equipment.

1945: With the end of World War II, release from conscription and return to the founding place of Wakamatsu.; The end of World War II

1946: Company is renamed “Kondo Kaiji Industry”, and builds the catamaran type crane vessel with the lifting capacity of 400 t “Yorozumaru”, which was then the largest in Japan and contributed to the opening of the Kanmon Port with her unpaid service of removing over 200 vessels from the Kanmon Straits and Dokai Bay. These vessels had sunk after hitting mines or for other reasons.

1963: Named by Yawata Seitetsu (presently Nippon Steel) as a company responsible for heavy freight handling using crane vessels and engaged in around-the-clock loading work of coils for export with the company’s steam driven crane vessel with the lifting capacity of 120 t "Hisamaru" as a part in Japan’s high economic growth period.

1968: Marine Transport Division opened for transporting steel pipe piles and heavy and large size cargo with deck barges, as well as Towing Division for towing services using tugboats

1969: Corporate reorganization as Kondo Kaiji Industry Co., Ltd. Made inroads into overseas markets by enhancing Towing Division with newly built near-seas ocean tugboats and with the know-how of towing accumulated through years of service.; Apollo 11 first lunar landing

1973: Acquired license for coastal shipping business, ordinary construction business (Fukuoka Prefecture); Oil crisis

1975: Trade name changed to Kondo Kaiji Co., Ltd., set orange color with high visibility as the corporate color, and engaged in salvage service on a 24-hours-a-day basis. Made a leap as a comprehensive maritime corporation by participating in the development of offshore oil fields with towing and marine transportation of large-scale structures such as large size jackets, plants, and platforms, as well as operation of anchor handling tugs.

1979: With the start of boring derrick installation work, engaged in a variety of undertakings for construction of an oil reserve station, including soil improvement work, station construction, and towing of oil storage barges used until completion of the facility, as well as part of the maintenance work after completion.; Second oil crisis

1984: With establishment of the Construction Works Division, advance into the waterfront civil engineering works. Marine transport of trusses of Keihin Ohasi and Onarutokyo Bridge opened the way for transporting bridges like Bisan Seto Ohashi, Shimanami Kaido, Tsunoshima Ohashi, and Daiba Line of Tokyo Metropolitan Expressway, Fukuoka Island City Connection Bridge, and others to follow.

1989: Participated in remote islands preservation work and ecological survey
Embarked on work at sea both at home and abroad with installation of water intake and discharge pipes at a power plant in Taiwan utilizing crane vessel with the lifting capacity of 265 t “Byakko” as the first overseas project

1993: Engaged in the marine transport for the construction of manmade island in Kisarazu area as part of the Trans-Tokyo Bay Highway project

1997: Advance into overseas business with the building of state-of-the-art salvage and anchor handling vessel “Idaten”

2006: Started marine transportation of wind power generation facilities to destinations around the country

2007: Participated in the installation work of submerged tunnel tubes for New Wakato Road

2008: Engaged in the transportation of jackets and deck boards for runway construction of Tokyo Haneda Airport

2010: Purchased the research and salvage vessel “Fujin” and entered new fields of business;
work boat “Ushiwaka” also purchased

2011: Dispatched fleet for salvage and recovery assistance work in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake; Great East Japan Earthquake

2012: Full-fledged entry into the installation of floating type offshore wind power generation facilities with the spread of renewable energy trend
Built a new work boat “Yoshitsune” built

2014: Built a multi-purpose salvage and towing vessel “Raijin” equipped with appropriate accommodation and work deck to cope with emergency salvage work, as well as development and survey of marine resources in the seas near Japan

2018: Certified with ISO9001・2015 for quality, ISO14001・2015 for environment, and ISO45001・2018 for occupational health and safety