Institute of Cetacean Research
The is the primary vessel of the Japanese whaling fleet and is the world's only whaler factory ship. It has a tonnage of and is the largest member and flagship of the five-ship whaling fleet, headed by leader Shigetoshi Nishiwaki. The ship is based in Japan in Shimonoseki harbor and is owned by Tokyo-based Kyodo Senpaku, which is a subsidiary of the Institute of Cetacean Research.