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    Museum of the largest battleship in history

    • photo
    • Japan
    • museums
    Eugen Pinak
    15 January '21

    The battleship «Yamato» became a symbol of the power of Japan, which in some 60-70 years turned from a backward feudal country with a fleet of wooden junks into one of the great naval powers. Her epic end on the way to Okinawa in April 1945 also reinforced the myth of the «Yamato», although the giant battleship inflicted negligible losses on the enemy in her last battle. In terms of the number of books, articles, films, manga and songs, dedicated to the battleship «Yamato», no other Japanese ship can be compared.

    However, even decades after the end of World War II, the glorification of the Japanese aggression of 1931-1945 is taboo in Japan. Therefore, despite all the popularity of the battleship «Yamato» both in historical science and in popular culture, the Japanese did not dare to create a museum, dedicated to her, for a long time.

    ​The battleship «Yamato» on trials, October 1941 - Museum of the largest battleship in history | Warspot.net
    The battleship «Yamato» on trials, October 1941

    Only in the first half of the 1990s, the new mayor of Kure Ogasawara Shinya came up with a proposal to create a museum in the city, dedicated to «Yamato». The battleship was built in the arsenal of the Imperial Japanese Navy, located in Kure. The city authorities rightly believed, that the new museum would attract tourists, who would revive the city's economy. However, the leadership of the Hiroshima Prefecture, which includes Kure, opposed this concept of the museum and refused to create it at the prefecture level. Then Ogasawara announced that the museum would be created at the city level. Since the Kure budget could not cope with such a financial burden on its own, the city authorities launched a large-scale fundraising campaign. As a result, out of a total budget of 65 million US dollars, the city budget covered only about 29 million, and the state, public organizations and individuals gave the rest of the money.

    Already in 1999, the exhibition «Battleship «Yamato» was opened in a temporary building in Kure, which became the prototype and advertisement of the future museum. The exhibition was popular, which helped to calm down those worried about anti-war protests in connection with the opening of the new museum. The following year, at the exhibition in Osaka, Kure's stand with the concept of the «Yamato» Museum won first place in a survey of visitors.

    ​Monument to the battleship «Yamato» in Kure. It has the form of a reduced midship section of the battleship and her superstructure. At the foot of the monument there are two shells of the main guns of Japanese battleships: 41-cm (left) and 46-cm (right). In order to maintain secrecy, the Japanese officially called the 46-cm shells and main-caliber guns of the «Yamato»-class battleships «Type 94 41-cm» guns/shells. Photo by the author - Museum of the largest battleship in history | Warspot.net
    Monument to the battleship «Yamato» in Kure. It has the form of a reduced midship section of the battleship and her superstructure. At the foot of the monument there are two shells of the main guns of Japanese battleships: 41-cm (left) and 46-cm (right). In order to maintain secrecy, the Japanese officially called the 46-cm shells and main-caliber guns of the «Yamato»-class battleships «Type 94 41-cm» guns/shells. Photo by the author

    At the last moment before the opening, the authorities in Kure become afraid to call their brainchild the «Yamato» Museum. Thus, for reasons of political correctness, it received the official name «Museum of Maritime History and Science of the City of Kure». At the same time, the museum is called the «Yamato» Museum everywhere else, and even the address of its website is written as www.yamato-museum.com. Apparently, for the same reasons of political correctness, the museum opened on April 23, 2005 — 60 years and two weeks after the sinking of the battleship «Yamato» (April 7, 1945).

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    ​Anchor of one of the Japanese battleships in front of the museum. Photo by the author - Museum of the largest battleship in history | Warspot.net
    Anchor of one of the Japanese battleships in front of the museum. Photo by the author

    ​View of the museum pier and the museum building (in the center of the photo). Photo by the author - Museum of the largest battleship in history | Warspot.net
    View of the museum pier and the museum building (in the center of the photo). Photo by the author

    ​From the museum pier you can clearly see the dock, where the battleship «Yamato» was built (beige structure in the center of the photo). During the construction of the battleship, the Japanese had not yet thought of such a dock design, so they had to make huge screens, made from ropes, to protect the ship under construction from the eyes of foreign spies. Photo by the author - Museum of the largest battleship in history | Warspot.net
    From the museum pier you can clearly see the dock, where the battleship «Yamato» was built (beige structure in the center of the photo). During the construction of the battleship, the Japanese had not yet thought of such a dock design, so they had to make huge screens, made from ropes, to protect the ship under construction from the eyes of foreign spies. Photo by the author

    ​Even the parking barriers around the museum are designed in the form of ship cannon shells. Photo by the author - Museum of the largest battleship in history | Warspot.net
    Even the parking barriers around the museum are designed in the form of ship cannon shells. Photo by the author

    The new museum was very popular — over 1.6 million people visited it in the first year of its existence. By comparison, in Japan, a local museum considered successful, if it has 100,000 visitors a year. Contrary to the fears of the Kure authorities, there have been no serious protests in Japan or abroad against the opening of the museum. Over time, the number of visitors to the museum decreased, but even today we can safely say, that the «Yamato» Museum is the backbone of the tourism industry in Kure.

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    ​Model of the battleship «Yamato», side view. Photo by the author - Museum of the largest battleship in history | Warspot.net
    Model of the battleship «Yamato», side view. Photo by the author

    ​Model of the battleship «Yamato», side view. Photo by the author - Museum of the largest battleship in history | Warspot.net
    Model of the battleship «Yamato», side view. Photo by the author

    ​Model of the battleship «Yamato», side view. Photo by the author - Museum of the largest battleship in history | Warspot.net
    Model of the battleship «Yamato», side view. Photo by the author

    ​Model of the battleship «Yamato», side view. Photo by the author - Museum of the largest battleship in history | Warspot.net
    Model of the battleship «Yamato», side view. Photo by the author

    ​Model of the battleship «Yamato», side view. Photo by the author - Museum of the largest battleship in history | Warspot.net
    Model of the battleship «Yamato», side view. Photo by the author

    ​Model of the battleship «Yamato», side view. Photo by the author - Museum of the largest battleship in history | Warspot.net
    Model of the battleship «Yamato», side view. Photo by the author

    The center-piece of the museum's exposition is a huge — 1 to 10 scale — model of the battleship «Yamato». The 26-meter model is made in great detail and makes an unforgettable impression on lovers of maritime history.

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    ​Model of the battleship «Yamato», side view. Photo by the author - Museum of the largest battleship in history | Warspot.net
    Model of the battleship «Yamato», side view. Photo by the author

    ​Model of the battleship «Yamato», side view. Photo by the author - Museum of the largest battleship in history | Warspot.net
    Model of the battleship «Yamato», side view. Photo by the author

    ​Model of the battleship «Yamato», side view. Photo by the author - Museum of the largest battleship in history | Warspot.net
    Model of the battleship «Yamato», side view. Photo by the author

    ​Model of the battleship «Yamato», side view. Photo by the author - Museum of the largest battleship in history | Warspot.net
    Model of the battleship «Yamato», side view. Photo by the author

    The architecture of the building allows the «Yamato» model to be viewed from various angles — from the side, from below and from above.

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    ​Model of the battleship «Yamato», side view. Photo by the author - Museum of the largest battleship in history | Warspot.net
    Model of the battleship «Yamato», side view. Photo by the author

    ​Model of the battleship «Yamato», side view. Photo by the author - Museum of the largest battleship in history | Warspot.net
    Model of the battleship «Yamato», side view. Photo by the author

    In a separate room, historical relics are exhibited: the A6M «Zero» carrier-based fighter of the Japanese Navy, the «Kairyu» small kamikaze submarine, a good collection of naval shells and some gun barrels, as well as other military equipment.

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    ​Ship flag of the battleship «Nagato». Photo by the author - Museum of the largest battleship in history | Warspot.net
    Ship flag of the battleship «Nagato». Photo by the author

    ​A6M «Zero» carrier-based fighter of the Japanese Navy. Photo by the author - Museum of the largest battleship in history | Warspot.net
    A6M «Zero» carrier-based fighter of the Japanese Navy. Photo by the author

    ​«Kairyu» small kamikaze submarine. Photo by the author - Museum of the largest battleship in history | Warspot.net
    «Kairyu» small kamikaze submarine. Photo by the author

    ​«Kairyu» small kamikaze submarine. Photo by the author - Museum of the largest battleship in history | Warspot.net
    «Kairyu» small kamikaze submarine. Photo by the author

    Museum also organizes temporary exhibitions, dedicated to the battleship «Yamato», World War II in the Pacific, Imperial Japanese Navy or the city of Kure. Unique exhibits are often exhibited — for example, objects, raised from the sunken «Yamato», or drawings of a battleship, that survived the mass destruction of any information about it by the Japanese after the surrender in 1945.

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    ​A collection of naval shells of different calibers against the breech of a 20-cm gun. Such guns were used on Japanese heavy cruisers. Photo by the author - Museum of the largest battleship in history | Warspot.net
    A collection of naval shells of different calibers against the breech of a 20-cm gun. Such guns were used on Japanese heavy cruisers. Photo by the author

    ​46-cm shells of the main caliber of «Yamato»-class battleships. Photo by the author - Museum of the largest battleship in history | Warspot.net
    46-cm shells of the main caliber of «Yamato»-class battleships. Photo by the author

    ​Reconstruction of the central compartment of a «Type A» midget submarine. Similar boats participated in the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Photo by the author - Museum of the largest battleship in history | Warspot.net
    Reconstruction of the central compartment of a «Type A» midget submarine. Similar boats participated in the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Photo by the author

    The actual historical part of the exposition is very modest.-A little about the Imperial Japanese Navy, a little about the city of Kure and the local naval arsenal, a little about the ships, built in Kure. Though one can find some very rare pieces on display, fans of classical museums will probably be disappointed. On the other hand, children (and many adults) should like the large hall, where they simply and clearly tell you about ships, navigation and shipbuilding (this is rarely seen in classical museums). Museum also has good collection of ships’ and aircraft’s scale models.

    Several exhibits are located outside the walls of the museum: 41-cm gun and rudder blade of the battleship «Mutsu», a hydrofoil boat and a deep-sea bathyscaphe.

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    ​41-cm gun of the battleship «Mutsu». Photo by the author - Museum of the largest battleship in history | Warspot.net
    41-cm gun of the battleship «Mutsu». Photo by the author

    ​The rudder of the battleship «Mutsu». Photo by the author - Museum of the largest battleship in history | Warspot.net
    The rudder of the battleship «Mutsu». Photo by the author

    Another — and rather unusual — «exhibit» is the museum pier. It is made in the shape of the right-hand forward half of the «Yamato» bow, so, standing on a special platform, a person can see the contours of the «Yamato» hull on a 1 to 1 scale, as if he/she is looking at the bow of the battleship from the upper level of its bridge.

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    ​Museum pier. In the foreground, an explanatory sign is visible, without which it is rather difficult to guess the intentions of the pier makers. Photo by the author - Museum of the largest battleship in history | Warspot.net
    Museum pier. In the foreground, an explanatory sign is visible, without which it is rather difficult to guess the intentions of the pier makers. Photo by the author

    ​The transparent wall of the central hall and the illumination, which works until late, allows you to see the «Yamato» model even after the museum is closed. Photo by the author - Museum of the largest battleship in history | Warspot.net
    The transparent wall of the central hall and the illumination, which works until late, allows you to see the «Yamato» model even after the museum is closed. Photo by the author

    The «Yamato» Museum is located in the center of Kure city (Hiroshima prefecture) next to the sea ferry terminal, a 5-7 minute walk from the railway station. The train from Hiroshima is the most convenient way for tourists to get to Kure. The museum is open Wednesday to Monday from 9:00 to 18:00, visitor entry until 17:30. Museum is open daily April 29th to May 5th, July 21st to August 31st, and December 29th to January 3rd.

    The cost of a regular admission ticket is 500 JPY (c. 5 USD). Note, the ticket allows you not a one-time, but a daily entrance — a visitor can leave the museum and return to it as many times as necessary during the working day. How do the museum make sure, that the same visitor returns to the museum, and not a different person? The answer is simple — it does not. This is Japan, such things simply not done here.

    Museum is a barrier-free zone.

    Museum web-site: https://yamato-museum.com/

    English language guide can be seen here: https://yamato-museum.com/leaflet/guidance-leaflet-english/ If you really want to know more about the museum exposition, audio-guide is a must.

    Eugen Pinak

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