Through a longstanding blend of organizational discipline and an unerring drive for the highest levels of automation attainable in shipbuilding processes, the industry in Japan demonstrates resilience founded on continuing productivity advances. Untiring efforts to seek new ways of reducing man-hours and lead times is wholly characteristic of Japanese companies, as they rise to the intensified challenge posed by equally resolute South Korean yards. Although designs from Japanese builders are necessarily production-oriented, shaping perceptions in the international shipowning market that tailoring can only be had at a substantial premium, there is no question about the quality obtainable at a competitive price.