I am currently following some interesting conversation about this ship on Facebook. The maritime journalist Jonathan Boonzaier (works for Tradewinds) is adamant that the ship was not scrapped. She had to return to Japan because China closed its borders for imported scrap ships (it is true that they did this). She is now supposedly laid up in the industrial port of Chiba.

Indeed, the AIS data is very confusing. Another website (Fleetmon.com) has three entries for her with three different MMSIs, call signs, names and flags, positions received one, six and nine months ago...

As long as no recent photo of her appears I, too, think that she's dead.

Thanks for adding some info for the video, I happened to come across it while trying to confirm her fate.

Cheers,
Jens

I guess there was some case of "creative AIS programming" here, but she must be broken up by now, for there's no going back from Sierra Leone flag...

Btw, cool clip, Jens, showing her sailing past the Innoshima and Setoda islands near Onomichi.

Cheers

Vlad

Sorry, forgot to insert the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFgDB1f8ytQ

If I am not mistaken the date of the last position received (Tokyo Bay) on Marine Traffic dates back to October 24th, 2018.

Here's a video of her departing for Ningde, the name "Fuji" and port of registry painted hastily on her stern (look at about 4:15 min).

Reading Jens comments, I am interested to note according to Equasis, she reverted to the name Fuji Maru, in October 2019! AIS on Marine Traffic seems to suggest she returned to Japan from China in April 2019. Can anyone shed light on the actual facts, please?

Renamed "Fuji" on January 29, 2019. One day later she sailed under Sierra Leone flag for Ningde, China, to be broken up. (Info from nedcruise.info)

Cheers,
Jens

She's been mostly inactive for several years I think, so it's good to see she is finally on the move.