Ishigaki City in Okinawa Prefecture and Shosen Yaima will temporarily suspend their Ishigaki–Keelung route from October 1.
The route began operating one weekly round trip on May 28, with service increased to two weekly round trips from July. Reasons cited for the temporary suspension include cargo handling not yet being fully underway, operating costs—including rising fuel prices—exceeding initial projections, and passenger demand entering the off-season. The operators stated that the overall business must be restructured to ensure stable and sustainable route operations until cargo handling arrangements are finalized.
During the suspension, coordination will continue with relevant organizations and businesses. The timing of the service resumption and future operating plans will be announced once a policy has been determined.
The Yaima Maru is 160 meters long and 25 meters wide, with a passenger capacity of approximately 545. It is registered in Panama. The vessel previously operated as the Sunflower Kuroshio and PanStar Dream. Ishigaki Island and Keelung, near Taipei, Taiwan, are approximately 270 kilometers apart, with a journey time of about eight hours.
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