What Is Port State Control and Why Does It Matter in Japan?
Port State Control (PSC) is the inspection of foreign-flagged ships by the authorities of the port they are visiting, to verify that the vessel and its crew comply with international maritime conventions — including SOLAS, MARPOL, STCW, and the MLC 2006. In Japan and across the Asia-Pacific region, PSC inspections are coordinated under the Tokyo Memorandum of Understanding (Tokyo MOU), a regional agreement covering 20 maritime administrations from Australia to Russia.
For shipowners and operators, a PSC detention is one of the most operationally damaging outcomes in commercial shipping. A detained vessel cannot depart until all serious deficiencies are rectified and confirmed by the inspecting authority. That means idle days at port, lost charter income, emergency repair costs, and reputational damage that follows the vessel's record for years through the Tokyo MOU's public database.
The 2024 Tokyo MOU Statistics: The Risk Is Real and Growing
The Tokyo MOU's 2024 Annual Report on Port State Control makes sobering reading. Key figures from 2024 include:
32,054 inspections conducted across the region, covering 18,655 individual ships under 107 flags
1,189 ships detained, representing a detention rate of 3.71%
77,526 deficiencies recorded in total across all inspections
Under-performing ships nearly doubled year-on-year, signalling a deteriorating overall fleet condition across the region
75% of detainable deficiencies were attributed to poor or inappropriate maintenance
The four leading deficiency categories — fire safety measures, lifesaving appliances, working and living conditions, and safety of navigation — together accounted for 54% of all recorded deficiencies. Fire safety alone generated 15,406 deficiencies, while ISM non-compliance was identified as a contributing factor in 16% of detentions.
Nearly three in every four detainable deficiencies in the Tokyo MOU region in 2024 were caused by poor maintenance — deficiencies that a competent pre-PSC survey would have caught and corrected in advance.
How PSC Risk Profiling Works Under the Tokyo MOU
PSC inspectors in the Tokyo MOU region do not select vessels for inspection randomly. Ships are assigned a risk profile — High Risk, Standard Risk, or Low Risk — based on a combination of factors including flag state performance, classification society record, vessel type and age, previous inspection history, and the number and nature of deficiencies found in prior PSC examinations. High Risk Ships (HRS) face more frequent and more intensive inspections; Low Risk Ships (LRS) benefit from reduced inspection frequency as a reward for sustained compliance.
This risk-based targeting model means that a vessel with a history of deficiencies or detentions enters Japanese ports already under scrutiny. Conversely, operators who invest consistently in maintenance and compliance — and who use pre-PSC surveys to proactively address issues — tend to build a Low Risk profile over time, reducing both the frequency and intensity of inspections they face.
The Most Common PSC Deficiency Areas to Address
Based on 2024 Tokyo MOU data, shipowners preparing for a PSC inspection in Japan should pay particular attention to the following areas:
Fire safety systems — fire detection, fixed suppression systems, portable extinguishers, fire doors, dampers, and crew drill records
Lifesaving appliances — lifeboat and rescue boat condition and launch readiness, EPIRB and SART validity, liferaft hydrostatic releases, and immersion suits
Safety of navigation — ECDIS operational status and crew proficiency, chart corrections, radar functionality, and GMDSS equipment certification
ISM Code compliance — SMS documentation, drill records, non-conformity reports, and Master's review
MLC 2006 requirements — seafarer employment agreements, wage payment records, rest hour documentation, and accommodation standards
Water and weathertight integrity — hatch covers, watertight doors, and closing appliances in good working order
What Is a Pre-PSC Survey and How Does It Help?
A pre-PSC survey is an independent inspection carried out by a qualified marine surveyor before a vessel enters port, specifically designed to identify the deficiencies that PSC inspectors are most likely to find and act upon. The surveyor works through the same checklist areas that PSC officers use, assessing the vessel's actual condition against the requirements of the relevant conventions.
The practical benefits of commissioning a pre-PSC survey in Japan are significant:
Deficiencies are identified while the vessel is still at sea or at an anchorage — before official inspection begins — leaving time for rectification
Crew are briefed and prepared on the areas inspectors are most likely to examine, reducing the risk of procedural failures during the inspection itself
The ship's Master receives a clear, prioritised action list rather than discovering problems under the pressure of an official visit
A documented record of proactive compliance efforts can support the vessel's overall PSC risk profile
Given that the detention rate in the Tokyo MOU region stood at 3.71% in 2024 — meaning roughly one in every 27 inspected ships was detained — the investment in a pre-PSC survey is almost always justified on a pure cost-benefit basis, particularly for vessels with older equipment or a recent history of deficiencies.
Working with an Independent Surveyor in Japan
Sente Shipping Co., Ltd. is a Kobe-based independent marine survey company offering pre-PSC surveys across all major Japanese ports and throughout the wider Asia-Pacific region, including South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Our certified surveyors are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to mobilise at short notice to meet your vessel's schedule.
An independent surveyor brings a perspective that neither the vessel's management company nor its class society can fully replicate: the unbiased eye of someone whose only obligation is to report what they find, as the PSC officer will. That independence is what makes a pre-PSC survey genuinely useful — and what makes the difference between a clean inspection and a detention notice.
If your vessel is trading into Japanese ports or anywhere within the Tokyo MOU area, contact Sente Shipping to arrange a pre-PSC survey and give your crew the best possible preparation before the inspectors come aboard.
