日中フェリー「鑑真号」就航　３代目、上海と阪神つなぎ３９年

　【上海時事】中国・上海市と大阪・神戸を結ぶ定期フェリーとして新たに造船された「鑑真号」が８日、就航し、大阪に向けて上海を出港した。１９８５年運航開始の初代「鑑真号」、９４年に投入された「新鑑真号」に続く３代目となる。
　初代の鑑真号は８０年代に日中間の人的往来や物流の需要が高まったことを受け、創業。唐の時代に仏教を広めるため苦難の末に来日した僧侶、鑑真から命名された。２代目に引き継がれ、３９年にわたり日中の人的往来に貢献してきた。（2024/06/08-19:22）

A newly built ferry began its regular operations Saturday to link the Chinese city of Shanghai with Osaka and Kobe in western Japan.
   The Jian Zhen Hao ferry, the third generation of such a regular ship, left Shanghai for Osaka on the day.
   The ferry was named after Chinese Buddhist monk Jianzhen, known as Ganjin in Japan, who went to Japan in the eighth century to propagate Buddhism.
   The first-generation ship went into service in 1985 as demand grew for passenger travel and freight transport between Japan and China. The second-generation ferry began its operations in 1994.
   At present, only freight transport services are available because passenger transport services have been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The passenger services are expected to be resumed around September this year.