News release

～Strengthening the domestic shipbuilding supply chain through integrated production, assembly and shipping～

February 20, 2026

Metal One Corporation

Kubo Industries Co., Ltd.

Metal One Corporation (headquartered in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Yoshiyuki Watanabe, president and CEO) and Kubo Industries Co., Ltd. (headquartered in Nagasaki-shi, Nagasaki; Shinya Takahashi, president) launched a joint venture called Kubo Metal Corporation in December 2025 to manufacture and sell large end plates for alternative marine fuel tanks.

There have been rapid moves in recent years to shift to new kinds of marine fuel such as LNG and ammonia in response to stricter international environmental regulations and to achieve a carbon neutral society. Expectations are that demand will grow for larger Type-C pressure fuel tanks in conjunction with this, so strengthening domestic supply chains is imperative. Above all, devising systems to ensure a stable supply and integrating the manufacturing, assembly and shipping of large end plates will be crucial to future shipbuilding industry growth.

Metal One and Kubo Industries launched Kubo Metal in Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture after nearly two years of extensive discussions and deliberation. Part of an existing building and facilities with a 20-meter shipping bay and an overhead crane able to lift more than 1,000 tonnes were used to set up a system that enables the bending, welding, assembly and shipping of large end plates in one location. Kubo Industries dispatched technicians to put its many years of end plate manufacturing expertise to work at Kubo Metal, striving for both stable quality and high productivity. Metal One’s information-gathering capabilities and contacts in various industries will also be leveraged to expand sales channels.

This enterprise was selected for the “Project to Promote the Construction of Zero-Emission Ships” (second call for proposals, FY2024) sponsored by the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Kubo Metal will actively promote investment in advanced facilities and technology development based on national policies to promote the adoption of vessels that use new types of fuel and to achieve a carbon neutral society, seeking to improve the domestic shipbuilding industry’s competitiveness and strengthen and stabilize supply chains.

For more information, please contact:
Hajime Kimura or Toshiyuki Higuchi
Corporate Communications Unit, Corporate Administration, Safety & Health Department, Metal One Corporation
Phone: +81-3-6777-2816 / Email: mo.pr@mtlo.co.jp