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New ship to shuttle between Hokkaido, disputed isles

HIROSHIMA, Japan - Photo shows new passenger vessel, the Etopirika, at a shipyard in Etajima, Hiroshima Prefecture, in western Japan, on Nov. 11, 2011, prior to its launch ceremony later in the day. The 1,150-ton ship, capable of carrying 84 passengers, will shuttle between Nemuro, Hokkaido, in northern Japan, and the Russian-held disputed islands off Hokkaido, known in Japan as the Northern Territories and as the Southern Kurils in Russia, from May 2012, to carry people taking part in visa-free exchange programs and other purposes. (Kyodo)