NISSUI - Frontier

The “Nissui genes” that link marine resources worldwide to the markets. NISSUI Frontier

The manned research submersible, Shinkai 6500, equipped with the world's top capacity for navigating underwater, has recorded over 1,000 dives underwater and produced significant results. The Shinkai 6500 is operated and managed by Nippon Marine Enterprises, Ltd.

JAMSTEC is introducing information and the appeal of the deep sea to children by opening the Shinkai 6500 to public viewing and through marine education activities.

Currently a number of remotely oprated vehicles are also being used in deepwater explorations. Consequently, Nippon Marine Enterprises, Ltd. also conducts operations of these remotely oprated vehicles owned by JAMSTEC.
In the documentary series, Planet Earth, jointly produced by NHK, BBC (U.K.) and the Discovery Channel (U.S.A.), the remotely oprated vehicle, Hyper-Dolphin, equipped with a hi-vision camera was submerged simultaneously with the 6K into the Hatoma knoll of the Okinawa Trough, and succeeded in filming the blue and white hydrothermal eruptions from the chimneys and transmitted footage of the mysteries of the deep sea to the whole world.
Deep water explorations are also contributing to the nation's space exploration.
In November 1999, the Japan-made H-II Rocket, which was launched from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima prefecture failed to orbit and fell into the Pacific Ocean, approximately 600km due South of Shizuoka prefecture. It was an accident that cast a dark cloud over Japan's space exploration efforts. At that time, the Japan Marine Science and Technology Center was hired by the National Space Development Agency of Japan/NASDA (present Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency/JAXA) to discover and retrieve the fallen engine in order to investigate the cause of the failure. The task of trying to find an object of a mere 3m from the depths of 3,000m was equivalent to "dropping a line from atop Mr. Fuji and trying to hook a fish from the world below." However, the skill and the cooperative efforts by the staff of NASDA, JAMSTEC, Nippon Marine Enterprises, Ltd. and others managed to cause a miracle.
JAMSTEC continues to tirelessly devote itself to oceanographic research by developing and utilizing the latest technical advances, including marine research vessels, deep sea manned research submersibles, remotely oprated vehicles and various sonar equipment. At Nippon Marine Enterprises, Ltd., the expert staff, who have inherited Nissui’s genes, safely and soundly run and manage the special vessels and submersible vehicles as well as operate and support the various oceanographic research equipment with their specialized expertise. The continued collaboration of the two organizations is expected to unlock the mysteries of tectonic activity, which heavily impacts the earth environment, with their "oceanographic approach," contribute to the research/development of resources and the study/forecasting of earthquakes, and set the foundations for a bright future for Japan and the earth.

Vessels operated and managed by Nippon Marine Enterprises, Ltd.,
in addition to Shinkai 6500

•Support Vessel Yokosuka
Yokosuka acts as a support ship to Shinkai 6500. In addition to acoustic navigation equipment and underwater communications equipment, Yokosuka carries in its ship bottom, the multibeam echo-sounder for precision exploration of the surface layer of the deep-sea bottom, and many other specialized devices not found on other vessels.

•Research Vessel Natsushima
Natsushima acts as the support ship to the 3000m-class remotely operated vehicle, Hyper-Dolphin, as well as the deep ocean floor survey system, Deep Tow. Natsushima was formerly the support ship to the 2,000m-class manned research submersible, Shinkai 2000.

•Deep Sea Research Vessel Kairei
Kairei acts as the support ship to the remote operated vehicle, Kaiko 7000II. Kairei is equipped with an on-board multi-channel reflection survey system, for conducting surveys on the structure of deep sub-bottoms with complicated geographical shapes in subduction zones.

•Research Vessel Kaiyo
Kaiyo was in operation as the underwater operations vessel for the New Seatopia Project until 1990. It is currently used as an research vessel, mainly carrying out investigations of the sub-bottom structure.

•Deep Sea Cruising Vessel Urashima
Urashima is an autonomous deep-sea exploration robot. The vehicle is able to run and follow its own course through its on-board computer. In February 2005 Urashima succeeded in completing the world-record, 317km continuous cruise. Urashima also supports the operation of other vessels.

•Research Vessel Hakuho Maru
Hakuho Maru is a 4,000t large-scale research vessel that conducts long-range, multipurpose research cruises around the world.

•Research Vessel Tansei Maru
Tansei Maru is employed in a wide range of fundamental ocean research operations, mainly in the seas surrounding Japan, including Sagami Bay, Suruga Bay, Kumano-nada, and off Sanriku.

A portion of the photos provided by JAMSTEC, Nippon Marine Enterprises, Ltd.

Yokosuka