On Feb 22, State Minister Nakayama attended the returning ceremony for AGB Shirase, which supported the 62nd Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition. He gave a speech to the crew members who just completed the three-month mission, and encouraged them.
As an anti-COVID-19 measure, Shirase did not call at Australia for refueling and supplies this time. It made the round trip of 30,000km between Yokosuka and Showa Base with no supplies for the first time since the SDF started the transport cooperation in 1965.
