What is the purpose of the agreement signed by Yakuai Merchant Marine College?

To strengthen communication support during disasters by utilizing the training ship Yakuai Maru and collaborating with SoftBank and Rakuten Mobile.

Why is maritime communication support considered important?

Due to the lessons learned from the Noto Peninsula Earthquake where land routes were severed, and Japan's geographical characteristics with many remote islands, maritime support is crucial for disaster resilience.

What is the status of collaboration with major domestic communication carriers?

Through this agreement, Yakuai Merchant Marine College has now signed disaster support agreements with all four major domestic carriers: KDDI, NTT Docomo, SoftBank, and Rakuten Mobile.

[Yuge National College of Maritime Technology] Concluded Cooperation Agreements with SoftBank Corp. and Rakuten Mobile, Inc. to Promote the Use of Training Vessel 'Yugemaru' for Disaster Support

Published Mar 31, 2026 7:00 PM ・ Updated Jun 13, 2026 11:46 PM ・ 4 min read ・ Source: PR TIMES

Yuge National College of Maritime Technology has signed a cooperation agreement with SoftBank and Rakuten Mobile regarding the promotion of the use of its training vessel 'Yugemaru' for disaster support. This completes agreements with all four major domestic telecommunication carriers, expecting enhanced cross-carrier collaboration during disasters.

Yuge National College of Maritime Technology (located in Kamijima-cho, Ochi-gun, Ehime Prefecture; Principal: Makoto Uchida, hereinafter "Yuge National College of Maritime Technology") has signed a "Cooperation Agreement on Promoting the Use of Training Vessel 'Yugemaru' for Disaster Support" (hereinafter "this Agreement") with SoftBank Corp. (hereinafter "SoftBank") and Rakuten Mobile, Inc. (hereinafter "Rakuten Mobile") on Wednesday, March 25, Reiwa 8 (2026).

With the conclusion of this Agreement, Yuge National College of Maritime Technology has now entered into disaster support agreements with all four major domestic telecommunication carriers, and cross-carrier collaboration in times of disaster is expected.

1. Background and経緯 of Agreement Conclusion In the Noto Peninsula earthquake that occurred in January Reiwa 6 (2024), land routes were cut off due to large-scale landslides and road collapses, making it extremely difficult for support vehicles to enter and for base stations to be restored. At that time, "ship-borne base stations" were operated to deliver radio waves to affected areas from the sea, proving effective in securing communication in isolated regions. In Japan, with its many islands and complex coastline, a "maritime support system" is crucial for disaster resilience (the recovery capability of society). Yuge National College of Maritime Technology had previously concluded agreements with KDDI Corporation (signed in December Reiwa 4 / 2022) and NTT Docomo, Inc. (signed in March Reiwa 5 / 2023). Now, with the conclusion of agreements with both SoftBank and Rakuten Mobile, a more comprehensive disaster support system has been established.

2. Purpose of this Agreement and Main Collaboration Items Yuge National College of Maritime Technology and each company will leverage their respective technologies, expertise, and services to strongly promote the use of 'Yugemaru' for disaster support.

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Source: PR TIMES
Category: Partnership

[Yuge National College of Maritime Technology] Concluded Cooperation Agreements with SoftBank Corp. and Rakuten Mobile, Inc. to Promote the Use of Training Vessel 'Yugemaru' for Disaster Support

⚡ Key Points

2. Purpose of this Agreement and Main Collaboration Items Yuge National College of Maritime Technology and each company will leverage their respective technologies, expertise, and services to strongly promote the use of 'Yugemaru' for disaster support.

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