Historical Chronology of the Society

1899 Teikoku Kaiji Kyokai (Imperial Japanese Marine Corporation - former name of present Society) founded.
1901 First edition of Record of Japanese Ships published.
1903 Issued Regulations for the Classification and Registration of Ships.
1905 Formulated Rules for the Assignment of Load Lines to facilitate services related to load line assignment in advance of similar rules created by the Japanese government.
1920 First ship classed by the Society, the Kwanan Maru, constructed.
1921 First edition of Rules and Regulations for the Construction and Classification of Steel Ships published.
1922 Authorized to assign load lines and issue load line certificates with the implementation of the Load Line Law of Japan.
1924 First edition of the Register of Ships published.
1926 Society's highest class, NS*, registered in the classification clause of the Institute of London Underwriters.
1934 Society recognized as a ship classification society by the Japanese government with implementation of the Ship Safety Law.
1946 Society renamed Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (NK).
Services for inspection of material testing machines commences.
1949 Society celebrates fifty years of service.
1952 NS* classification character recognized by the American Marine Insurance Clearing House.
The Nippon Kaiji Kyokai Award established.
1953 NS* designated ships carrying dangerous cargoes authorized passage by Suez Canal Authority and Panama Canal Commission.
1955 NK Research Institute established.
NK's first single-classed, oceangoing freighter, the Tatekawa Maru, constructed.
1962 Exclusive surveyor offices opened in London and New York.
World's largest oil tanker, the Nissho Maru, constructed under NK class.
1965 NK-classed fleet tops 10,000,000 gt.
First Japanese-built oceangoing vehicle carrier, the Oppama Maru, constructed under NK class.
1967 The Rules for the Construction and Certification of Freight Containers formulated; commence inspection services for freight containers.
Exclusive surveyor office opened in Singapore.
1968 Indian Technical Committee established.
NK becomes one of founding members of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS).
1969 The Japan Magnolia becomes the first MO-designated ship to be constructed under NK class.
1971 NK representative elected as chairman of the IACS Council.
1972 First high-speed container ship to be built in Japan, the Elbe Maru, constructed under NK class.
Exclusive surveyor office opened in Taipei.
1973 Services for registering offshore structures commence.
Exclusive surveyor offices opened in Hong Kong and Lisbon.
1974 Exclusive surveyor office opened in Pusan.
1975 Hong Kong Committee established.
NK-classed fleet tops 50,000,000 gt.
World's largest semi-submersible marine structure, the Aquapolis, constructed for the Okinawa International Ocean Exposition under NK class.
Exclusive surveyor office opened in Piraeus.
1976 Exclusive surveyor offices opened in Manila and Kuala Lumpur.
1977 Oil drilling rig, Hakuryu No. 5, constructed under NK class.
Computer-based ship classification database system completed.
Exclusive surveyor offices opened in Dubai and Rotterdam.
1980 Exclusive surveyor offices opened in Rio de Janeiro,Buenos Aires, and Marseilles.
1982 Exclusive surveyor offices opened in Hamburg and Bilbao.
1983 Society authorized by Japanese government to conduct surveys and issue certificates in accordance with laws relating to MARPOL 73/78.
1984 Exclusive surveyor offices opened in Bangkok,Jakarta, Antwerp, and Jeddah.
1985 Southeast Asia Committee established.
Exclusive surveyor office opened in Bombay.
1986 Exclusive surveyor office opened in Panama.
1990 Korea Committee established.
1991 Danish Technical Committee established.
Exclusive surveyor offices opened in Copenhagen and Shanghai.
1992 Greek Committee established.
ClassNK logo created.
1993 Research Center complex inaugurated. Research Institute relocated to the new Center.
Commence Quality System assessment and certification services.
QualityNK logo created.
Commence Safety Management System assessment and certification services.
Exclusive surveyor office opened in Kuwait.
1994 China Committee and Korea Technical Committee established.
Indian Technical Committee reorganized as the Indian Committee.
Exclusive surveyor offices opened in Beijing and Istanbul.
1995 China Technical Committee established.
Accredited as a quality system certification body by RvC and JAB.
PrimeShip advanced technology systems and programs announced.
Society begins providing technical support to the Mega-Float project.
Exclusive surveyor offices opened in Oslo and Vancouver.
1996 Society receives ISO 9001:1994 certification from SGS.
Exclusive surveyor offices opened in Auckland and Dalian.
First LNG carrier of Qatar Project, the Al Zubarah, constructed under NK class.
1997 NK-classed fleet tops 100,000,000 gt.
Exclusive surveyor office opened in Guangzhou.
Commence NK-SHIPS survey status, history and particulars information service.
1998 Philippine, Singapore, and Thai Technical Committees established.
Exclusive surveyor offices opened in Qingdao, Miri, and Hachinohe.
CD-ROM versions of the Register of Ships and the Rules and Regulations for the Construction and Classification of Steel Ships released.
Commenced Environmental Management System assessment and certification services.
1999 Society celebrates 100th anniversary of service.
Exclusive surveyor office opened in Durban.
2000 NK representative elected for third time as chairman of the IACS Council.
Taiwan Committee established.
Exclusive surveyor offices opened in Norfolk (USA) and Sendai.
2001 Information Center established.
Taiwan Technical Committee and Indonesia Technical Committee established.
2002 Hong Kong Technical Committee established.
Information Center received a "New Office Concept Information Technology Award".
2003 NK received a "Special Award for Innovation in Technical Development".
Ship Safety Law amended.
British Committee established.
2004 Turkish and Singapore Committees established.
Exclusive surveyor offices opened in Ho Chi Minh and Veracruz.
Received approval to conduct statutory surveys on behalf of the UK.
2005 Exclusive surveyor office opened in Amman.
Malaysian Committee established.
2006 Exclusive surveyor offices opened in Guayaquil, Miami and Newcastle.
2007 NK-classed fleet tops 150,000,000 gt.
Middle East Technical Committee established.
Exclusive surveyor offices opened in Barcelona and Nha Trang.
2008 Exclusive surveyor offices opened in Tianjin, Kochi, Zhoushan and Mokpo.
Plan approval centers opened in Busan, Mumbai and Istanbul.
World’s first CSR applied bulk carrier Western Wave constructed under NK class.
2009 Exclusive surveyor offices opened in Algeciras, Damman, Nantong, Fujairah, Dahej, Accra,
Turkish Technical Committee and Greece Technical Committee established.