Hisane Masaki | Mar 23, 2011 10:48AM EDT
A tanker arrived at the Port of Hachinohe in Aomori Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Wednesday, carrying 380 tons of propane gas from Chiba City, which is adjacent to Tokyo.
The Koshin Maru No.12, operated by Tokyo-based Shinwa Chemical Tanker, became the first tanker to make a call at the port since the earthquake and tsunami on March 11.
The Port of Hachinohe is the second port on the Pacific coast of the Tohoku region to receive a tanker since the twin natural disasters, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
Tankers carrying gasoline, diesel oil and kerosene have arrived at the Port of Sendai-Shiogama in Miyagi Prefecture since Monday to be unloaded at Idemitsu Kosan's storage facility there.
The Port of Hachinohe and the Port of Sendai-Shiogama are usable only for ships carrying relief supplies.
Fuel shortages, as well as the damage to transport infrastructure and fears of a serious nuclear disaster involving one of Tokyo Electric Power's nuclear plants, have hampered relief and recovery efforts in the worst-hit Tohoku region.
A roll-on, roll-off ship carrying equipment and materials used for recovery work arrived at the Port of Sendai-Shiogama on Wednesday. The first such ship to make a call at the port since the twin natural disasters, the Shinsen Maru, operated by Tokyo-based Kuribayashi Steamship, left the Port of Tokyo on Tuesday night.
Kuribayashi Steamship said it plans to continue transporting relief supplies from the Port of Tokyo to the Port of Sendai-Shiogama three to four times a week.
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-- Contact Hisane Masaki at yiu45535@nifty.com.