| 1870 |
Tsukumo Shokai Shipping Company established and renamed to Mitsubishi Shokai in 1873. |
| 1875 |
Japan's first overseas liner service inaugurated between Yokohama and Shanghai. |
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Mitsubishi Shokai changed name to Mitsubishi Mail Steamship Company. |
| 1879 |
Mitsubishi Mail Steamship Co. started calling Hong Kong. |
| 1885 |
Mitsubishi Mail Steamship Co. & Kyodo Unyu Kaisha merged on Sept 20 to form Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK Line). |
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New company commenced operations on Oct 1 with a fleet of 69 vessels. |
| 1893 |
Japan's first regular long-distance ocean line inaugurated with the departure of NYK's vessel Hiroshima Maru started calling Hong Kong on the way to Bombay. |
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Opening of NYK Hong Kong Branch. |
| 1896 |
Liner service began on European (Tosa Maru), Seattle (Miike Maru) and Australian (Yamashiro Maru) routes. |
| 1906 |
NYK started service between Japan and Hong Kong/Bangkok. |
| 1914 |
NYK vessel Tokushima Maru became the first Japanese ship to pass through newly completed Panama Canal. |
| 1929 |
Luxury passenger liner Asama Maru, often referred to as "The Queen of the Sea", started service on San Francisco route. |
| 1937 |
Typhoon attacked Asama Maru at Hong Kong. |
| 1939-45 |
World War II. |
| 1941 |
NYK became the world's third largest shipping company. |
| 1951 |
NYK re-started service from Japan to Hong Kong, Bangkok and Calcutta after World War II. |
| 1952 |
Liner service resumed on Asia-Europe routes via Suez Canal. |
| 1963 |
NYK Hong Kong Branch reopened. |
| 1964 |
NYK and Mitsubishi Shipping Co. Ltd. merged. |
| 1969 |
NYK Line (Hong Kong) Ltd. established. |
| 1972 |
Japan's Prime Minister visited China for a joint declaration of normalizing the Sino-Japanese diplomatic relations. |
| 1985 |
NYK Centennial Celebration. |
| 1990 |
Cruise business restarted with the voyage of five star plus world-class passenger ship Crystal Harmony. |
| 1991 |
NYK and Nippon Liner System merged. |
| 1997 |
Sovereignty of Hong Kong returned to People's Republic of China. |
| 1998 |
NYK and Showa Line merged. |
| 1999 |
30th anniversary of NYK Line (Hong Kong) Ltd. |
| 2000 |
Acquisition of ISO9002 Certification. |
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