In 2014, 62 Japanese and other business operators were either registered or licensed in Japan as non-vessel-operating common carriers (NVOCCs), according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT). Virtually, 55 new players broke into the NVOCC market, as the seven others changed from port-to-port to door-to-door service providers. The number of new comers increased from the previous few years, as around 50 were registered or licensed a year in both 2012 and 2013.