Famous Ships and Boats

In history, movies, books, on exhibit

War ships, ship tragedies, steam ships, yachts, and more

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Japanese Ships and Boats

Daigo Fukuryu Maru — Japanese fishing boat
First victim of a hydrogen bomb died of radiation poisoning because the ship was too near the test zone. On on March 1, 1954, the boat was contaminated by nuclear fallout from the US's Castle Bravo thermonuclear test on Bikini. On Sept. 23, 1954, the ship's radio operator, Aikichi Kuboyama, succumbed. LAUNCHED: 1947 → FATE: Now on display in Tokyo at the Tokyo Metropolitan Daigo Fukuryu Maru Exhibition Hall in Yumenoshima Park.

(Another )

Doña Paz, MV — Japanese built, Philippine owned ferry
A collision with MT Vector in 1987 resulted in the deadliest ferry disaster in history in peace time; possibly 4375 lives lost. As Don Sulpicio, on June 5, 1979, she was gutted by fire (with no casualties), beached and declared a total loss. The wreck was sold, refurbished and returned to service in 1981. LAUNCHED: 1963, April 18 → FATE: Collided with the oil tanker, caught fire and sank on December 20, 1987.

(Another )

Ever Given — Japanese container ship
The ship ran aground in the Suez Canal, completely blocking it. Traffic in both directions was blocked for just over six days, leading to a traffic jam of over two hundred vessels. The ship was finally freed on March 29, 2021. LAUNCHED: 2018, May 9 → FATE: Still operating.

(Another )

Felicity Ace — Japanese roll-on/roll-off cargo ship
The greatest economic loss of cargo shipping in history, costing about $400 million dollars. She was carrying 3,965 Volkswagen Group cars, including Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini and Bentley models. All crew were safely evacuated. LAUNCHED: 2005, July 2 → FATE: She caught fire on February 16, 2022 south of the Azores, then on March 1, 2022, Felicity Ace capsized and sank.

Fujikawa Maru — Japanese cargo ship, transport ship
Her sunken remains are a leading wreck diving site for scuba divers. She was sunk in Truk Lagoon during Operation Hailstone during World War II. LAUNCHED: 1938 → FATE: Sunk by torpedo on February 17, 1944.

Hōshō — Japanese aircraft carrier
First ship designed and built as an aircraft carrier. During World War II, she participated in the Battle of Midway in a secondary role. Afterward, she returned to Japan as a training ship for the duration of the war. LAUNCHED: 1922 → FATE: Scrapped in 1948.

HA. 19 — Japanese midget submarine
First shot fired by the U.S. in the World War II was at this minisub as it tried to enter Pearl Harbor. Grounded and abandoned after failing to fired any torpedos, she was pulled out of the sea and was sent to the US mainland in January 1942 where she went on war bond tours. LAUNCHED: 1938 → FATE: On exhibit at the National Museum of the Pacific War in Texas to where she was moved in 1991.

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I-400 — Japanese submarine
The largest non-nuclear submarines ever built. These submarine aircraft carriers were able to carry three aircraft underwater to their destinations, surface, launch their planes, then quickly dive again. LAUNCHED: 1943, January 1945 July → FATE: Scuttled near Kalaeloa, Hawaii on June 4, 1946.

Mikasa — Japanese pre-dreadnought battleship (British built)
The last remaining example of a pre-dreadnought battleship anywhere in the world. After the Russo-Japanese War, her magazine accidentally exploded and sank the ship. She was salvaged and repaired and then served in World War I. LAUNCHED: 1900, November 18 → FATE: She was preserved as a museum ship and later refurbished and is on exhibit in Mikasa Park, Yokosuka.

San Juan Bautista — Japanese galleon
One of Japan's first Japanese-built Western-style sailing ships. She crossed the Pacific in 1614 transporting a Japanese diplomatic mission to the Vatican. By 1619, then owned by Spain, she was a slave ship. A full sized replica of the San Juan Bautista is the centerpiece of museum in Ishinomaki, Japan. LAUNCHED: 1613, September → FATE: Unknown

Seawise Giant — Japanese supertanker, variously owned
Longest ship ever built at 458.46 meters or 1,504 feet. She was damaged during the Iran-Iraq War by an Iraqi Air Force in the Strait of Hormuz in May 1988. LAUNCHED: 1979 → FATE: Scrapped in January of 2010.

Toya Maru — Japanese train ferry
Her sinking was one of the major factors behind the construction of the Seikan Tunnel between Hokkaido and Honshu. Perhaps 1,153 people were lost but the exact number is unknown because some people boarded without tickets and others cancelled just before sailing. LAUNCHED: 1947, November → FATE: Sank during a typhoon in the Tsugaru Strait September 26, 1954.

Yamato — Japanese battleship
The largest, heaviest, and most powerful battleships ever constructed. She was the flagship of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto during World War II. LAUNCHED: 1940, August 18 → FATE: Sunk north of Okinawa April 7, 1945.

Yamato 1 — Japanese experimental ship
She used magnetohydrodynamic drive s (MHDDs) driven by liquid helium-cooled superconductors . The ship, which had no moving parts, was successfully operated in Kobe harbor in June 1992. LAUNCHED: 1991 → FATE: She was on display at the Kobe Maritime Museum but was demolished in 2016.

The number of Japanese Ships and Boats listed is 14

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For a full list of all ships, select HERE

First Ship on each page
Page	Ship Name (Country and Type)
1.	Doña Paz, MV (Japanese ferry)
2.	I-400 (Japanese submarine)

Japanese Ships and Boats
1.	Doña Paz, MV Japanese ferry
2.	Ever Given Japanese container ship
3.	Felicity Ace Japanese roll-on/roll-off cargo ship
4.	Fujikawa Maru Japanese cargo ship
5.	Hōshō Japanese aircraft carrier
6.	HA. 19 Japanese midget submarine
7.	I-400 Japanese submarine
8.	Mikasa Japanese pre-dreadnought battleship
9.	San Juan Bautista Japanese galleon
10.	Seawise Giant Japanese supertanker
11.	Toya Maru Japanese train ferry
12.	Yamato Japanese battleship
13.	Yamato 1 Japanese experimental ship