--- description: Breaking news and analysis from time.com. Politics, world news, photos, video, tech reviews, health, science, and entertainment news. title: Charting New Waters image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7a0d7bc6896928e6/6a4b525867a943e4fc7a6ec8/80A7B044563C44F5B49D4C9215C498F4.png?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 --- # Charting New Waters  Masahiko Tsumoto , President, Fujitrans Corporation Masahiko Tsumoto , President, Fujitrans Corporation Maritime transport has been the backbone of global trade for millennia, from the age of sailboats and the spice trade to modern vessels plying the world’s ports. Throughout this history, advancements in trains, planes and roads have vastly increased the human ability to move around the world. While these modes now dominate passenger transport, ships remain king for the flow of energy, goods and natural resources. Around 80% of global trade moves via sea routes, with an estimated 13 billion tons of cargo transported each year. While ships still ply many of the same key lanes used for centuries—the narrow Strait of Malacca, for example, has been key to regional trade since at least the 7th century—the industry is far from stagnant. Given that much of the world’s economy relies on ocean transportation, companies that find ways to operate more efficiently and reliably are at the forefront of innovation. Japan’s Fujitrans Corporation is one such company.  Founded over 70 years ago in Nagoya, one of Japan’s key shipping hubs, Fujitrans was instrumental in the post-war reconstruction era, expanding from shipping lumber and automobiles into a diverse global logistics operation. Since then, the company has expanded to become a full-stack provider of logistics services, from initial consulting to storage and inventory management. In particular, Fujitrans is sought out by clients seeking bespoke solutions for high-value projects. Key to the company’s success has been its own fleet of managed maritime vessels, as well as regional bases spread across North America, Europe and Asia. Fujitrans is investing in Southeast Asia’s potential. “Our priority is expansion while preserving our identity as a specialized logistics company. We aim to strengthen operations in ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), bringing Japanese know-how to support local development,” said company President Masahiko Tsumoto. This year also marks the opening of Fujitrans operations in India, with freight-forwarding services looking to support rapidly expanding demand. “We hope this will expand to port terminal operations and coastal shipping with domestic partners, areas where we have strong expertise,” said Tsumoto. Fujitrans is exploring the use of AI systems that address core logistics challenges, including labor bottlenecks and pressure to decarbonize, both of which mean that greater efficiency is a step in the right direction. Other initiatives include a shared-use platform for domestic car carriers, as well as robotics that allow a shift toward inland warehousing. “With growing personnel shortages and increased demand for maritime transport, we believe these systems represent the next stage of logistics efficiency,” Tsumoto said.  Charting New Waters ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/branded-content/global-kigyo/charting-new-waters/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/branded-content/global-kigyo/charting-new-waters/"},"headline":"Charting New Waters","datePublished":"2026-06-18T14:28:02.278Z","dateModified":"2026-06-09T07:28:04.033Z","description":"","url":"https://time.com/branded-content/global-kigyo/charting-new-waters/","keywords":[],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[],"articleSection":"","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/branded-content/global-kigyo/charting-new-waters/","name":"Charting New Waters"}}]}] ```