Together with parent company Bernhard Schulte, it invited 120 leading figures from the Japanese shipowning community to a reception in central Tokyo.

The German ambassador to Tokyo, Dr Hans Carl von Werthern, even came along to lend his support for BSM’s bid to become big in Japan.

BSM chief executive Captain Norbert Aschmann was thrilled with the positive response from Tokyo’s shipowning community.

“BSM