[Aomori City, Aomori Prefecture] The old days of the “Seikan Ferry Hakkodamaru” are revived! Feel the eternal history on board the ship

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  • Last updated: 2024.04.30

About a 5-minute walk from Aomori Station, you will see the Seikan ferry, Hakkodamaru. This is the last ship on the Seikan Route that departs from Aomori and arrives at Hakodate. The lemon yellow hull is beautiful.

Now the entire ship has been turned into a museum. It is known as the railway ferry museum that originated in Japan. This is a must-see spot when sightseeing in Aomori.

History of the Seikan Ferry that represents the Hakkodamaru

The distance from Aomori to Hakodate is 113km. The Seikan Ferry connects this distance in 3 hours and 50 minutes. It has a long history, and sailing began in 1908. It carried 160 million people until it finished its work. The cruising distance reaches 80 million km (2019 circumnavigation of the earth).

Hakkodamaru retired in 1988. In this year, the Tsugaru Kaikyo Line, a railway that passes through the Seikan Tunnel, opened. The mission of delivering people and cargo was handed over to the railways. Looking at the Seikan Ferry as a whole, it was the end of a long history spanning 80 years.

Among the many Seikan ferry ships, the Hakkodamaru had a particularly long service life. Due to these circumstances, it plays a representative role as a Seikan ferry. Hakkodamaru entered service in 1964. She completed a voyage of 23 years and 7 months.

Let's go inside the Memorial Ship Hakkodamaru

The entrance to the Hakkodamaru, which has become a museum, is the same as the entrance for passengers at the time. Entrance is on the second floor, where there is a multipurpose hall and restaurant. Buy tickets here. The tour will start from the 3rd floor.

At the Tsugaru Straits Culture Corner, items that can be said to be proof of the exchange between Aomori, Hokkaido, and Sakhalin are on display. You can see tools and photos that remind you of the lives of people at the time when ferry boats were in use.

When you look at the exhibit, you will feel like you have traveled back in time to the inside of the Seikan Ferry from that era.

At Marine Wonderland, you can enjoy an impressive underwater walk with 3D images. Performance time is 10 minutes.

The highlight is the models of past contact lines.

The highlight is the Seikan Railway Ferry Memorial Museum. A number of valuable materials and equipment from the time of the ship's inauguration are on display. Starting with the first-generation Hirafu Maru, you can see models of past brave ships. The models of the tragic ships ``Daiichi Seikan Maru'' and ``Toya Maru'' are especially moving.

The Daiichi Seikan Maru sank in 1945, just before the end of the war, after being attacked by 300 Grumman carrier-based fighters. The Toya Maru sank due to the effects of a large typhoon in 1954, killing 1,430 people. The vivid appearance of days gone by has been revived as a model.

Summary of the Seikan Ferry/Hakkodamaru

There are many exhibits on board that give you a realistic feel of history. When you look at these things and actually feel the smell and atmosphere of the ship, you can somehow feel the thoughts and breathing of the people at the time.

You can't really understand this feeling until you actually ride the Hakkodamaru. Memorial Ship Hakkodamaru offers experiences that can only be had there.

Not only the exhibition room, but also the ``green cabin,'' ``berth room,'' ``salon conference room,'' ``secretary's office,'' ``captain's room,'' and ``engine room'' remain as they were when the ship sailed. Of course you can take a tour. You can see the remains of the ship's life.

Hakkodamaru<Information>

  • Name: Seikan Ferry Memorial Ship Hakkodamaru
  • Address: 1-112-15 Yanagawa, Aomori City, Aomori Prefecture
  • Phone number: 017-735-8150
  • Official URL: http://aomori-hakkoudamaru.com/

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