Japan’s shipbuilders have unveiled a ¥350bn ($2.3bn) plan to modernise their industry and double national shipbuilding output within the next decade. The Shipbuilders’ Association of Japan (SAJ), representing 17 domestic companies including Imabari Shipbuilding, announced the initiative ahead of talks with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. The proposed investment aims to upgrade ageing facilities, boost automation, and expand capacity across multiple sites nationwide. This move forms part of a larger ¥1trn ($6.6bn) state-led fund designed to revitalise Japan’s maritime industry and secure a share of the global orderbook amid fierce competition from China and South Korea. SAJ chairman Yukito Higaki warned that without digital upgrades and new facilities, Japan risks losing its remaining global influence in shipbuilding. The plan, if approved, would mark the largest coordinated shipbuilding investment in Japan since the 1980s.