Following an almost three-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, international cruise ship operations in Japan resumed on Thursday with a ship run by Mitsui O.S.K. Passenger Lines sailing out for the Indian Ocean from Yokohama port.

The Nippon Maru is the first cruise ship to leave a Japanese port since the government of Japan announced in November that international cruise ships could resume operations and dock there.

After widespread diseases on the Diamond Princess cruise ship forced thousands to be confined in Yokohama in February 2020, 13 of the over 700 afflicted crew and passengers died, leading to the imposition of the suspension.

The Nippon Maru operator claims to have put in place several anti-coronavirus safeguards, such as asking passengers to submit to PCR testing before boarding, taking daily temperatures, and monitoring close encounters between passengers.

"We'll be able to give the guests an unforgettable experience. Enjoy your travels, "said the company's president, Yusuke Ueno, during the departure ceremony at Yokohama's Osambashi Pier.

The ship will arrive back in Yokohama on January 31 after making stops in Madagascar and Mauritius.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism expects foreign-operated international cruise ships to begin calling at Japanese ports in March.