Name

YCS

Legal name

郵船コーディアルサービス株式会社

Website

https://ycsco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Logistics Services

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (4885), Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Services-Help Supply Services (7363)

akta.pro primary industry

Transportation (Drivers/Fleet) Staffing (BPACAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Terminal Labor Supply & Workforce Management (Dock Labor, Gangs) (TLAHALAJ)

Keywords

• Shipping agency services
• Workforce dispatch services
• Maritime payroll outsourcing
• Port agency operations
• Human resources services

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Staffing/Personnel Dispatch Services: General worker dispatch business (派13-011183) and fee-charging employment placement business (13-ユ-010815). YCS dispatches its own employees to NYK Group and other companies, charging for staffing services.
2. Shipping Agency Services: Port agency and booking agency services for NYK Line and NYK Group vessels, handling ship entry/departure formalities and cargo bookings.
3. Outsourcing Services: Back-office outsourcing including payroll/welfare administration, port disbursement accounts, cargo brokering, office services, and shipping documentation for NYK Group and external clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

YCS provides personnel dispatch and labor contracting for office and shipping-related roles, full-service shipping agency work (booking, port-call coordination, crew/document delivery, fuel/water supply), and back-office outsourcing covering payroll, accounting, customs documentation, and PC support for shipping companies. Its customers are primarily NYK Group affiliates and other Japanese maritime/logistics corporations needing integrated staffing, port-agency, and administrative outsourcing under a single provider.

Product overview

YCS (郵船コーディアルサービス株式会社) operates as a comprehensive service provider with three core business areas: (1) Staffing Services providing general worker dispatch and employment placement for the NYK Group and partner companies in shipping and logistics; (2) Shipping Agency Services offering port agency and booking agency operations for car carriers, container ships, and bulkers with global route coverage; and (3) Outsourcing Services handling payroll administration, port disbursement accounting, cargo brokering, and office services for NYK Group companies. The company was established in 1971 as a joint venture between NYK Line and Suzuyo & Co., Ltd., and currently employs 533 staff members across Tokyo, Yokohama, and Kobe locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Personnel Dispatch and Labor Contracting Services Provides personnel dispatch and labor contracting for office and shipping-related roles, including worker dispatch to shipping companies for ship-operation support functions. Targeted at corporate clients in the maritime and logistics industry needing flexible staffing.
• Shipping Agency Services Full-service shipping agency offering booking, port-call coordination, crew and document delivery, fuel and water supply coordination, and related vessel-call support for ship owners and operators. Targets Japanese shipping companies and vessel operators.
• Back-Office Outsourcing Services Outsourced back-office operations including payroll, accounting, customs documentation, and PC support, primarily serving NYK Group affiliated companies and other shipping/logistics firms.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average annual leave taken: 19.0 days; average overtime: 10 hours/month
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered secondary and core.

• NYK Bulk & Projects Carriers Ltd.secondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2018YCS handles bulker and tramp vessel agency services for NYK Bulk & Projects, including port disbursement account services, cargo brokering, and semi-liner service bookings. YCS also manages port agency for NYK Bulk & Projects vessels at Japanese ports.
• Ocean Network Express Pte. Ltd. (ONE)secondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2017YCS serves as a booking agent for Ocean Network Express (ONE), handling container ship bookings for used vehicles, construction machinery, and bulk cargo on ONE-operated vessels. The relationship involves cargo booking and documentation services for ONE's container shipping routes.
• NYK Line (日本郵船株式会社)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1971NYK Line is the founding joint venture partner of YCS. YCS was established as a joint venture between NYK Line and Suzuyo & Co., Ltd. in 1971, originally handling NYK's data processing and computer operations. NYK Line remains the primary anchor client and strategic partner for all three of YCS's business lines (staffing, shipping agency, outsourcing).
• Suzuyo & Co., Ltd. (鈴与株式会社)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1971Suzuyo & Co., Ltd. is the co-founding joint venture partner of YCS alongside NYK Line. As a joint venture partner, Suzuyo has been involved in establishing and supporting YCS's operations since 1971.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• GAC Group: Global shipping, logistics and port agency group operating across 60+ countries with ship agency, crew changes, freight forwarding, and contract logistics. Provides directly analogous port call handling to YCS, while adding benchmark international scale (YCS's largest direct competitors outside Japan).
• Inchcape Shipping Services: Global port agency and maritime services group (a Warburg Pincus portfolio company, formerly part of Inchcape) covering vessel clearance, port call handling, crew services, and spare-parts logistics across 60+ countries. Closest international equivalent to YCS's ship-agency mandate at global scale.
• World Holdings Co., Ltd. TSE-listed Japanese holding company with a dedicated logistics-personnel staffing franchise (World Corporate, World Intelligence), placing drivers and warehouse/logistics specialists. Direct comparable to YCS's general worker dispatch business for maritime and logistics clients.
• Wilhelmsen: Norwegian-headquartered global maritime services company combining ship agency, port services, ship management, and crew/manning services. Most directly comparable to YCS's combination of port agency work plus maritime-specialized staffing (seafarer payroll support).
• Kamigumi Co., Ltd. Japan's largest pure-play port/terminal operator providing container and bulk cargo handling, warehousing, and international freight forwarding at major Japanese ports. Same Tokyo/Yokohama/Kobe service geography and maritime customer base as YCS, though more terminal-operator weighted than agency.
• Pasona Group Inc. Japan HR/staffing specialist with broad temporary staffing, BPO, and career placement services. Direct overlap with YCS's general worker dispatch (労働者派遣) and fee-charging employment placement (有料職業紹介) businesses across multiple sectors, including maritime-adjacent roles.
• MOL Logistics (Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Group): Logistics and ship-agency arm of MOL Group, one of Japan's three major shipping conglomerates. Provides port call handling, agency, and forwarding services for MOL and third-party vessels — directly comparable to YCS's port agency mandate for NYK and other lines.
• K Line Logistics Group: Logistics and agency arm of Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha ("K Line"), the third of Japan's major carriers. Handles ship agency, container logistics, and project cargo — closely parallel to YCS's combination of port agency and NYK Bulk & Projects work.
• Yusen Agency Co., Ltd. Sister shipping agency within the NYK/Yusen group providing port call handling, vessel clearance, and documentation at Japanese ports. Operates essentially the same ship-agency model as YCS across overlapping Tokyo/Yokohama/Kobe geographies, making it the closest functional peer.

Broad incumbents

• Recruit Holdings Co., Ltd. Japan's largest HR services conglomerate spanning temporary staffing (Recruit Staffing), permanent placement, and BPO across all industries. Provides broader portfolio than YCS, but competes for the same dispatch placements and career-placement candidates in Japan — relevant larger incumbent peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about YCS