This site is an online media that delivers all sorts of trivia about the six Tohoku prefectures, from sightseeing and gourmet spots to local customs, history, and more
Nowadays, travel between Aomori Prefecture and Hokkaido can be done by airplane or the Hokkaido Shinkansen, which passes through the Seikan Tunnel. However, in the days before the Seikan Tunnel and airplanes, the only option was to travel by ship. the distinctive "Seikan Ferry,This time, we will introduce
What is the Seikan Ferry?
The Seikan Ferryconnecting Aomori Station in Aomori City, Aomori Prefecture, and Hakodate Station in Hakodate City, HokkaidoSeikan Routewas a railway ferry that operated on The route was 61 nautical miles (112.972 km) long. In 1988, with the opening of the "Seikan Tunnel," an underwater railway tunnel connecting Aomori Prefecture and Hokkaido, the Seikan Ferry ceased operations.
Ferries still operate between Aomori Port and Hakodate Port, but there are two main differences between the two
These ships were operated by "railway operators" such as the Japanese National Railways and JR Hokkaido, andconsidered part of the railway network.were
carrying railway cars.was
It should be noted thatthe Seikan Tunnel is a railway-only tunnel, and cars cannot pass through it. Therefore, even today, to travel between Honshu and Hokkaido by car, it is necessary to transport the car by ferry.
Start of operation as a national route
A sea route connecting Hokkaido and Aomori Prefecture has existed since the Edo period. Then,1908on March 7,HirafuMaru," a ship connecting Aomori Port and Hakodate Port,the Imperial Railway Agency(the national agency that operated the railways equivalent to the current JR lines). This marked the beginning of the "Seikan Ferry." The journey took about 4 to 5 hours.
, who appears in the Nihon Shoki, compiled in 720 ADHirafu. He was the person who dispatched troops to Hokkaido at the command of Empress Saimei, and it is said that this was the first time that a voyage to Hokkaido was recorded in Japanese history.
The Seikan Ferryrailway ferrywas a type of A railway ferry is a ship that operates as an alternative to a railway in areas where it is difficult to lay railway tracks due to the presence of seas, lakes, or rivers.
Currently, the only railway ferry operated by JR is one that goes to Miyajima in Hiroshima Prefecture, but in the past, in addition to the Seikan Ferry, there were also ferries that allowed transfers from national railway lines between Honshu and Shikoku, the Kanmon Strait between Honshu and Kyushu, Lake Biwa, Hokkaido and Sakhalin, and Shimonoseki and Busan
A key characteristic of railway ferries was that they were primarily operated by railway companies, as exemplified by the Seikan Ferry, which was started by the Imperial Railway Agency. Not only were fares calculated as if they were part of the railway line(you could even ride them with the "Seishun 18 Ticket," which allowed unlimited rides on Japanese National Railways' local trains), but the station platforms and the piers for boarding the ferries were directly connected, allowing passengers to transfer from arriving trains to ferries without even leaving the ticket gates. Theyferries that you could board just like you would board a train.
The preserved Seikan Ferry "Mashu Maru" near Hakodate Station
Vehicle transportation begins
A bridge for loading vehicles onto the Seikan Ferry
As the development of Hokkaido intensified, there was a need to increase the transport capacity of the Aomori-Hakodate ferry. Therefore, in 1924,capable of directly loading freight cars and other railway vehicles onto the ship,a railcar ferryMaruwas introduced.
Actual ferry transport of vehicles began in August of the following year, 1925. The ability to directly load freight cars, which had been transported by freight train, onto shipssignificantly reduced loading time, allowing Hokkaido's seafood to be transported to Honshu while maintaining its freshness. (In the days when cargo was transferred manually, it's said that cargo was sometimes even dropped into the sea.)
war damage
During the war, the Aomori-Hakodate ferry service primarily transported coal from Hokkaido to Honshu. On July 14, 1945, towards the end of the war, 11 of the 12 Aomori-Hakodate ferriesby U.S. Navy aircraftwere attacked 352 people lost their lives on that day alone. The following day, the last remaining ferry sank, resulting in the loss of 4 passenger ships and 6 cargo ships.
Air raids continued in August, almost completely destroying the Aomori-Hakodate ferry service. A monument commemorating the war damage has been erected near the Aomori-Hakodate ferry "Hakkoda Maru," which is preserved in static display at Aomori Port.
Monument to the war damage of the Seikan Ferry (Photo by author)
Five ships sunk in the Toya Maru typhoon
In 1954, after the war, Typhoon No. 15, which reached Hokkaido on September 26,due to strong winds and waves, resulting in the sinking of five ferryboats between Aomori andcaused damage One of the five shipsthe Toya Maru, and the sinking of this ship alone claimed the lives of 1,151 people. Typhoon No. 15 was later named the "Toya Maru Typhoon."
This maritime disaster, in which 1,430 people lost their lives on the Toya Maru and four other cargo ships, is considered one of the five major accidents in the history of the Japanese National Railways after World War II. The accident also led tothe concrete development of the Seikan Tunnel project.
Transportation volume begins to decline
Throughout the pre-war and post-war periods, the Seikan Ferry, which connected the flow of people and goods between Honshu and Hokkaido,reached its peak in cargo transport in 1971 and passenger transport in 1973.
The subsequent decline in transport volume was largely due to the shift in passenger transport to aircraft and cargo transport to loading trucks onto ferries. Fewer and fewer people were doing what is described in the lyrics of Sayuri Ishikawa's hit song "Tsugaru Strait - Winter Scenery"—taking the train all the way to Aomori Station and boarding the Seikan Ferry to cross to Hokkaido.
Located near the Hakkoda Maru is the "Tsugaru Strait Winter Scene Song Monument." Photo by the author
For more information about the "night train departing from Ueno (bound for Aomori)" that appears at the beginning of the song, please see this article
The decline in freight volume continued unabated, and with construction of the Seikan Tunnel already underway, the fate of the Seikan Ferry was clear
Nevertheless, in an effort to improve the image of the Aomori-Hakodate Ferry, Japanese National Railways (JNR) made improvements in 1978 by installing a coffee shop and recreation room, as well as luxurious seats. Ithave been the most luxurious mode of transport operated by JNRis said to
The role will be taken over by the Seikan Tunnel
At the time of the last timetable revision of the Japanese National Railways in November 1986, the Seikan Ferry operated seven round trips per day, with the journey time between Aomori and Hakodate being 3 hours 50 minutes or 3 hours 55 minutes
In 1987, Japanese National Railways (JNR) was privatized and divided into separate companies, and the operation of the Seikan Ferry was taken over by JR Hokkaido. The following year,1988on March 13, , having carried 161 million passengers and 247 million tons of cargoended its 80-year history.
The "Kaikyo" rapid train, which began operation simultaneously with the opening of the Seikan Tunnel, connected Aomori Station and Hakodate Station in about 2.5 to 2.5 hours,making it possible to travel between the two stations in less time than by the Seikan Ferry. In addition to the "Kaikyo," other trains such as the luxury sleeper express "Hokutosei" (Ueno to Sapporo), the sleeper express "Nihonkai" (Osaka to Hakodate), the overnight express "Hamanasu" (Aomori to Sapporo), and the limited express "Hatsukari" (Morioka to Hakodate) also began to connect cities in Honshu and Hokkaido via the Seikan Tunnel.
These trains were all discontinued by the time the Hokkaido Shinkansen opened in March 2016, and currently, the Hokkaido Shinkansen's "Hayabusa" and "Hayate" trains travel through the Seikan Tunnel.
Furthermore, regarding freight transport, the change in route from the sea to an underwater tunnel has made it less susceptible to weather conditions. The stabilization of logistics in Hokkaidois said to be the greatest benefit of the opening of the Seikan Tunnel.
Hakkoda Maru and Mashu Maru
Seikan Ferry Memorial Ship Hakkoda Maru
Although the Aomori-Hakodate Ferry service has been discontinued, the Hakkoda Maru, which operated as the Aomori-Hakodate Ferry,is preserved as the "Aomori-Hakodate Ferry Memorial Ship Hakkoda Maru" just a 5-minute walk from Aomori Station.
You can enter the ship (for a fee), walk on the deck, and even touch the rudder and communication equipment in the bridge, a place passengers were not allowed to enter during its active service, as well asview the railway cars on board. However, please note that the observation deck and chimney observation platform are closed during bad weather and in winter.
Incidentally, the Mashu Maru, another former Aomori-Hakodate ferry, is preserved near Hakodate Station, and it is also possible to tour the inside of the ship. Although 37 years have passed since the Aomori-Hakodate ferry service was discontinued,the history of the Aomori-Hakodate ferry is still being passed down in both Aomori and Hakodate.
Seikan Ferry Memorial Ship Hakkoda Maru <Information>
Name: Seikan Ferry Memorial Ship Hakkoda Maru
Address: 112-15 Yanagawa 1-chome, Aomori City, Aomori Prefecture
TEL 017-735-8150
Opening hours: Summer 9:00-19:00, last admission 18:00 (April 1st to October 31st) Winter 9:00-17:00, last admission 16:30 (November 1st to March 31st)
Closed: December 31st, January 1st, and Monday through Friday of the second week of March
![Lake Usoriyama at Mount Osore](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/25110883_m-1200x900.jpg-150x150.webp "The mysterious world of Shimokita Peninsula Geopark: "The northernmost monkeys at Mount Osore and Hotokegaura" [Aomori Prefecture]")
![1088_Squid Curtain](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/621b49eff7eed2fb8caee235a00963e0-150x150.jpg.webp ""Grilled Squid Street" is famous for its squid curtains! The concentrated flavor has many repeat customers [Aomori Prefecture]")
