is a Japanese sailing ship that serves as a

museum ship A museum ship, also called a memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public for educational or memorial purposes. Some are also used for training and recruitment purposes, mostly for the small numb ...

in Tokyo. It is displayed at the Etchujima Campus of the

Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology , abbreviated as , is a national university in Japan. The main campus (Shinagawa Campus) is located in Minato, Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest c ...

Construction

The ship was constructed for the Japanese government in

Govan Govan ( ; Cumbric?: ''Gwovan'?''; Scots: ''Gouan''; Scottish Gaelic: ''Baile a' Ghobhainn'') is a district, parish, and former burgh now part of south-west City of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated west of Glasgow city centre, on the south ba ...

(now part of

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

) in 1873 by

Robert Napier and Sons Messrs Robert Napier and Sons was a famous firm of River Clyde, Clyde shipbuilders and marine engineers at Govan, City of Glasgow, Glasgow founded by Robert Napier (engineer), Robert Napier in 1826. It was moved to Govan for more space in 1841. Hi ...

. She was built as a lighthouse tender as a two-masted ship.

Lighthouse ship

The ''Meiji Maru'' was used for the Japanese government's lighthouse service.

Imperial voyages

The

Emperor Meiji , also called or , was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession. Reigning from 13 February 1867 to his death, he was the first monarch of the Empire of Japan and presided over the Meiji era. He was the figur ...

sailed on the ship in 1876, from Aomori to Hakodate, and Hakodate to Yokohama. The ship contains a decorated cabin for the sole use of the emperor. In Japan the third Monday in July is ''

Marine Day , also known as "Ocean Day" or "Sea Day", is a public holiday in Japan usually celebrated on the third Monday in July. The purpose of the holiday is to give thanks for the ocean's bounty and to consider the importance of the ocean to Japan as a ...

'', which originally commemorated the emperor's arrival in Yokohama at the end of his journey on the ship.

Tokyo Nautical School

In 1897 it was transferred to the Tokyo Nautical School for use as a moored training ship. Tokyo Nautical School later became part of the Tokyo University of Maritime Science and Technology.

Refitting

In 1898 she was re-rigged as a full-rigged ship by the Shomei Shipbuilding Company in Shinagawa.Sailing Ships - Meiji Maru
Retrieved 12 November 2015

Museum ship

In 1964 it was moved to the Tokyo University of Mercantile Marine to be preserved as a memorial. In 1988 an eight-year restoration was completed.

Notes and references

Museum ships in Japan 1873 ships Ships built in Govan Merchant ships of Japan Training ships of Japan Lighthouse tenders Tall ships of Japan {{ship-stub