1/350 IJN Nippon Maru (Aoshima)
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by Bernd Villhauer |
The Nippon Maru is a fourmast bark made of steel, that is moored today
in a modified dock as a museum ship in front of the Yokohama Maritime Museum
in Japan.
She was built in the Kawasaki shipyard in Kobe, construction number
557, as a training ship for the merchant marines and was launched on January
27, 1930.
The Nippon Maru was designed exactly like the Kaiwo Maru in Leith,
Scotland.
Both ships sailed in the Pacific as a training vessel for the Japanese
Culture Ministry.The Nippon Maru vistited the USA four times and Hawaii
five times. During WWII, the ship was brought down to the masts and was
powered by motor used as a cargo ship for the postal ministry within Japanese
waters. (I build the ship in this situation). After the war, she sailed
29 times to repatriate more than 25,000 Japanese citiziens.
From 1952 to 1984 she sailed again as a sailing training ship, again
with courses to USA (participating in the Bicentenial celebrations), before
being replaced by the Nippon Maru II. Since April 28, 1984, the ship has
laid in a flooded dry- dock in the area of Minato Mirai 21. This is a former
harbor and shipyard, and is now an office and recreational area. The dock
were the Nippon Maru lies belonged earlier to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
and was build in 1899.
The Nippon Maru, as well as the Museum and the surrounding park are
supported by a foundation. The ship is open to the public.
Technical Datas
Launch: 27. Januay 1930
Dockyard: Kawasaki Dockyard Co. Ltd., Shipbuilders
& Engineers, Kobe, Japan
Home Harbor: Tokio, 1984 Yokohama
Total length: 97,00 m
Hull: 93,50 m
Width: 12,95 m
Draft: 6,90 m
Level Mast above Water Line: 46,00 m
Sail Area: 2.397 m²
Power: Auxiliary Diesel, 2.600 PS
Total number of trained sailors: 11.500
All in all navigated distance: 1.830.000 km
