Questionnaire

Section 1: Personal Information

c) Prefer not to say
d) Other (please specify: __________)

What is your age?

a) 18-25
b) 26-35
c) 36-45
d) 46-55
e) 56 and above

How many years of experience do you have as a seafarer?

a) Less than 1 year
b) 1-5 years
c) 6-10 years
d) 11-15 years
e) More than 15 years

What is your highest level of education?

a) High School
b) Diploma/Certificate
c) Bachelor's Degree
d) Master's Degree or above

Section 2: Job Search Methods

How do you typically search for seafaring job opportunities? (Select all that apply)
a) Online job portals
b) Networking through colleagues/friends
c) Maritime recruitment agencies
d) Company websites
e) Social media platforms (e.g., LinkedIn, Facebook)
f) Newspapers/magazines
g) Other (please specify: ___________)

On average, how much time do you spend searching for seafaring job opportunities per week?
a) Less than 1 hour
b) 1-3 hours
c) 4-6 hours
d) 7-10 hours
e) More than 10 hours
Which factors influence your choice of a particular job search method? (Select all that apply)
a) Availability of job opportunities
b) Ease of use/convenience
c) Reliability of the method
d) Speed of finding suitable jobs
e) Past success with the method
f) Cost/fees associated with the method
g) Other (please specify: ___________)

How satisfied are you with the current job search methods available to seafarers?
a) Very satisfied
b) Somewhat satisfied
c) Neutral
d) Somewhat dissatisfied
e) Very dissatisfied

Are there any specific challenges or difficulties you face when searching for seafaring job
opportunities? Please explain briefly.

What suggestions do you have to improve the current seafarers' job search methods? Please
explain briefly.

Section 3: Additional Comments

Is there anything else you would like to share about your experience with seafaring job search
methods? Please provide any additional comments or suggestions.
Thank you for participating in this survey! Your responses will be valuable in understanding
seafarers' job search methods.

Background
On April 11, the Japan Ship Exporters Association (JSEA) released statistics stating that in the
2022 fiscal year (April 2022 to March 2023), Japanese shipbuilding companies have undertaken
orders for 280 new ships for export, with a revised gross tonnage of 5,664,050 , a year-on-year
decrease of approximately 15.2% in terms of revised gross tonnage. According to data from
Clarksons, in the first quarter of this year, Japan received orders for 29 new ships with 2.36
million deadweight tons, a year-on-year decrease of 33% in terms of tonnage, reaching the
lowest level in the same period in the past six years. The global share of new ship orders was
17%. Among them, the new ships are mainly container ships, accounting for 61%, which are 10
feeder container ships; followed by bulk carriers, accounting for 21%, are 4 Panamax and 4
handysize bulk carriers; There are 3 VLGCs, 4 chemical tankers and 4 general cargo ships.
In the first quarter of 2023, the order volume of new ships decreased by 33% year-on-year (in
terms of tonnage), which was the lowest level in the same period in the past six years.
One is policy reasons. The Japanese government’s support for its shipbuilding industry is not as
good as that of China and South Korea. However, there have been great improvements in the
past two years and several policies have been introduced. Second, the high cost of shipbuilding in
Japan, mainly labor costs, directly leads to low price competitiveness of Japanese shipbuilding.
The third is that in the past few years, Japan has suffered large losses in the construction of cruise
ships and offshore engineering facilities, which has hit the production and operation of
enterprises. In addition, the weak market conditions have led to difficulties in making profits for
enterprises, the lack of government support and subsidies, and conservative business strategies.
Leading to its "weakness". Faced with today's unspeakable situation, the Japanese shipbuilding
industry did not actually choose to "lay flat", but formulated its own "catch-up" plan. The
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan released the report "Supporting
Measures for the Development of the Shipbuilding Industry and Its Infrastructure to Ensure the
Development of International Shipping", which proposed short-term and medium- and long-term
development measures for the Japanese shipbuilding industry to enhance competitiveness and
ensure Japan's regional economic development and personnel Employment and National
Security.

Conclusion
Through this interview, I learned that Japanese maritime companies usually publish recruitment
information on their official websites and post job vacancies through professional websites or
recruitment platforms in the maritime and maritime industries. Seafarers, on the other hand,
prefer to find work in the following ways:

Navigation schools and training institutions: Many navigation schools and training institutions in
Japan provide courses and training programs related to navigation. These agencies often partner
with shipping companies to offer internships and employment opportunities for students and
graduates.

Human Resource Agencies: There are several specialized human resource agencies that provide
recruitment and employment services to the nautical industry.

Sailing forums and social media: Participating in sailing forums and social media groups is a great
way to keep up with the latest news and career opportunities in the sailing industry.

Nautical Exhibitions and Job Fairs: Regular nautical exhibitions and job fairs are great
opportunities to interact with companies and institutions related to the nautical industry.

For these reasons many seafarers in Japan have experienced difficulties finding work for nearly a
year
Impact of the epidemic: The COVID-19 epidemic has severely impacted the shipping industry.
Travel restrictions around the world, cancellations of shipping lines by shipping lines, and port
restrictions have led to a significant reduction in shipping activity. This has reduced the size of
shipping companies and limited employment opportunities for Japanese seafarers.
Artificial intelligence and automation technologies: The shipping industry is gradually adopting
artificial intelligence and automation technologies to improve efficiency and reduce costs. This
could lead to increased automation of ships, reducing the need for large crews and therefore
limiting job opportunities for Japanese seafarers.

Changes in employment demand: With the development of the global shipping industry, some
shipping companies may prefer to hire lower-cost crew members, which may cause Japanese
seafarers to face difficulties in competition. At the same time, shipping companies may also
prefer crew members with a wider range of skills and experience, which may pose a challenge for
new seafarers.

Structural changes in the domestic shipping industry: Japan's domestic shipping industry may be
undergoing structural changes, such as mergers of ship owners, increase in vessel size, etc. These
changes may have caused some shipping companies to reduce or adjust their demand for
seafarers, making it more difficult for Japanese seafarers to find work.