# Japan shipbuilders launch $5.9B drive to double yard output

*The public-private program provides ¥311 billion in state grants to modernize docks and counter Korean and Chinese dominance in green vessels.*

**Published:** October 26, 2026  
**By:** Haruto Nakamura  
**Section:** Shipbuilding & Defense — Japan  
**Format:** Policy Tracker  
**Confidence:** high  
**Source:** https://eastasiabrief.com/shipbuilding/japan-shipbuilders-launch-5-9b-drive-double-yard-output-938  
**Publisher:** East Asia Brief (https://eastasiabrief.com/)

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## What to know

- Japan deploys ¥900 billion public-private investment to double shipyard output to 18 million gross tons by 2035
- Imabari Shipbuilding and Mitsubishi Shipbuilding secure ¥153.8 billion in combined state grants
- Groundbreaking at Mitsubishi's Shimonoseki plant begins in 2027 ahead of 2030 production

![Shipyard workers stand before large vessels and cranes as Japan expands its domestic shipbuilding capacity. (AI-generated image)](https://eastasiabrief.com/media/2026-10-26-7e0dafe2a6f8.webp)
*Shipyard workers stand before large vessels and cranes as Japan expands its domestic shipbuilding capacity. (AI-generated image)*

Japanese shipbuilders deployed capital investment programs on October 26, 2026, to double domestic construction capacity to 18 million gross tons by 2035, backing a government-led push to recapture market share in alternative-fuel vessels.

The blueprint coordinates roughly ¥900 billion ($5.9 billion) in public and private capital spending, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. The ministry committed up to ¥311 billion in direct grants across eight approved business plans under Japan's Economic Security Promotion Act.

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Cite as: East Asia Brief, "Japan shipbuilders launch $5.9B drive to double yard output," October 26, 2026. https://eastasiabrief.com/shipbuilding/japan-shipbuilders-launch-5-9b-drive-double-yard-output-938