On 2 October, the Japan P&I Club will celebrate 70 years in protection and indemnity marine insurance — but 2020 could turn out to be one of the most difficult years in its history.

Although still relatively young by P&I club standards, the Tokyo-based mutual has good reason to mark the milestone.

Today, it has an insured fleet of 4,198 coastal and oceangoing vessels amounting to 96.2m