The permanent exhibition introduces modern Japan's maritime transportation from the dawn to today through the history of NYK Line.
We exhibit plain pictures, valuable photographs caught turning point of history, luxurious brochures of cruise, beautiful postcards, large elaborate model ships and detailed various material, you can see the history of modern Japan's maritime transportation multilaterally.

• 1.Opening of Japan
• 2.The birth of Nippon Yusen Kaisha
• 3.Venturing into the World
• 4.Arrival for Luxury Liners
• 5.War and Damage
• 6.Road to Recovery
• 7.Development into a Comprehensive Shipping Company
• 8.Measures for Stable Growth
• 9.NYK Corner
• Cruise Ship Corner

1　Opening of Japan

• At the time of the Meiji Restoration, Japan was staggered by the view of the world at large. Japanese shipping was quite incapable of competing with foreign flags, with the result that British and American shipping came to dominate the nation’s coastal trade. Against this otherwise bleak backdrop, one figure stood out -- Iwasaki Yataro, a former samurai of the Tosa fiefdom. Yataro inherited Tsukumo Shokai, a forwarding firm established by the lord of Tosa, transferred it to Tokyo and renamed it Mitsubishi Kisen Kaisha (Mitsubishi Mail Steamship Company). Having earned the confidence of Okubo Toshimichi and Okuma Shigenobu after handling transport operations during the military expedition to Taiwan, Mitsubishi was entrusted with the new government’s shipping operations. This agreement led to the birth of a new name in shipping: Yubin Kisen Mitsubishi Kaisha.
  In 1875, Yubin Kisen Mitsubishi Kaisha, by order of the government, commenced the first Japanese-flag overseas liner service between Yokohama and Shanghai. American-flag operator the Pacific Mail Co., which heretofore had enjoyed a monopoly on the trade, withdrew from it after 9 months of cutthroat competition. The British operator, P&O, which entered on the heels of Pacific Mail, quit the trade after six months, Mitsubishi having captured the loyalty of shippers with its financing of documentary drafts.
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  Iwasaki Yataro

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  Tensui-Oke (Rainwater Tank)

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  Kokai-shikimoku (rules of conduct for employee banquets)

2　The birth of Nippon Yusen Kaisha

• The tide began to turn against Mitsubishi with the advent of political change. 1881 saw Okuma Shigenobu retire from his position atop the political establishment, a development that brought about political and administrative hostility toward Mitsubishi, which hitherto had enjoyed a trusted and leading position. In 1882, the government created a new semi-governmental company called “Kyodo Unyu Kaisha”, 40% owned by the government and the rest by Mitsui and Kansai interests. The new company commenced business the following year. The resultant battle for hegemony between Mitsubishi and Kyodo was fierce. Cutting freight rates to obtain cargo, the two companies quickly depleted their respective resources. Dark clouds descended upon the shipping industry and public opinion soon turned against both companies.
  In order to save the companies from simultaneous bankruptcy and stave off the demise of Japanese shipping, someone had to move – and move quickly. That someone was Saigo Tsugumichi, Minister of Agriculture and Commerce and younger brother of Saigo Takamori. He called on the two companies to negotiate a compromise to settle the issue. It was during these negotiations that Yataro ended his life. 1885 saw the merger of Mitsubishi Kaisha and Kyodo Unyu and the birth of a new company, Nippon Yusen Kaisha.
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  Order for Foundation

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  Minutes of Director’s first meeting

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  The house of flag of NYK, “Nibiki” or “Double Stripes”

3　Venturing into the World

• Sailing was not necessarily smooth for the newborn Nippon Yusen Kaisha. Severe competition was brought about by an expanding railway system and the so-called “non-company” or local shipowners. Nippon Yusen Kaisha found a new horizon for expansion in overseas trades. In 1893, Bombay service was inaugurated as the first long-distance ocean liner service. With the expansion of the textile industry, at that time Japan’s leading source of exports, Nippon Yusen Kaisha successfully weathered freight competition with European and American owners. Furthermore, the Sino-Japanese war, which started in 1894, served as a major fillip for further expansion.
  Victory in the Sino-Japanese war engendered among the people the sense of “Japan the world power”. Backed by public opinion the government implemented a series of laws to expand overseas shipping services. Helped by this favorable trend and the profits brought about by the war, Nippon Yusen Kaisha commenced three major services -- to Europe, North America and Australia -- in one stroke in 1896. This enhanced Japan’s reputation abroad and laid the foundation for Nippon Yusen Kaisha as a major ocean carrier. The subsequent Russo-Japanese War and the prosperity experienced during World War I raised Japan to third among the world’s largest shipping nations.
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  The First Ship on the European Service, Tosa Maru (left)

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  Government Order for the inauguration of three main service

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  Booklet commemorating NYK’s 30th anniversary in September 1915

4　Arrival for Luxury Liners

• NYK, which ventured into the world with the inauguration of three major services, maintained and expanded its routes through the course of the Russo-Japanese War and the World WarⅠ. Termination of World WarⅠ, however, brought about rough weather for Japanese shipping. American and European shipowners introduced a series of new luxury liners into the transpacific trade, forcing Japanese owners into renewed competition. In order to regain their former supremacy NYK merged with Toyo Kisen Kaisha under guidance from the government, deploying their own luxury passenger liners in the Pacific. These were Asama Maru, Tatsuta Maru and Chichibu Maru for the San Francisco trade and Hikawa Maru, Hiye Maru and Heian Maru (Ⅰ) for the Seattle trade. The per-vessel building cost was far higher than previous ships.
  NYK spared no amenity or personnel for its “Pacific queens” – Asama Maru boasted interior decorations of classical European style and tatami rooms typical of a Japanese house. As for meals, which were considered to be “the pleasure” of sea travel, full course French cuisine was of a standard sufficient to satisfy the tastes of any gourmand. In fact, the two premier brands for cuisine in those days were a-la Imperial Hotel and a-la NYK. The vessels featured tennis courts, swimming pools and other facilities. Royal families, statesmen, Hollywood film stars, famous scientists and other celebrities were regular passengers.
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  Model ship Asama Maru

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  Brochure of cruise

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  Replica of typical Asama Maru dinner

5　War and Damage

• The dream world of luxury passenger liners was shattered by war. The Sino-Japanese War broke out in 1937, and was soon followed by World War Ⅱ. In 1940, Japan entered into the Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy, putting Japan in opposition to the Anglo-Americans and their allies. In 1941, NYK’s deepsea operations were progressively terminated and vessel requisitioning in preparation for war was accelerated. On December 8, 1941, the attack on Pearl Harbor caused Japan and the United States to go to war. Kashiwara Maru, which was being built as a new queen for the transpacific passenger trade, was converted into aircraft carrier Junyo, her passenger cabins demolished without ceremony. Nitta Maru, Kasuga Maru(Ⅱ) and many others followed in her wake, and all were sent to the bottom at the cost of hundreds of lives.
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  Sinking Terukuni Maru

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  Aircraft carrier Junyo converted from Kashiwara Maru

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  Nameplate from Noto Maru

6　Road to Recovery

• War’s end and occupation, and the GHQ’s strict shipping policy. Vessel speeds and services were restricted; national and company flags were prohibited. The Japanese merchant marine was allowed to operate only under the flag of SCAJAP (Naval Shipping Control Authority for Japanese Merchant Marine). The government decided not to compensate carriers for wartime vessel losses. GHQ policy, however, took a sharp turn with the advent of the cold war. The restrictions were partially lifted in 1950 and Japanese vessels were allowed to call at American ports. The first NYK vessel to serve on the America trade was Hikawa Maru, but she hoisted neither the national flag nor the double stripes.
  Overcoming difficulties, NYK gradually resurrected various trade routes. In April 1951, Bangkok service was commenced as the first post war liner trade. In April 1952, the San Francisco peace treaty came into effect. Until that time Japanese vessels calling at foreign ports were not allowed to hoist the rising sun flag.
  It was on the eve of the peace treaty’s signing ceremony that Yoshida Shigeru, plenipotentiary of the Japanese delegates, was said to have observed Hikawa Maru in San Francisco bay without the rising sun. Yoshida was said to have reaffirmed his determination, at that time, to put an end to this status by signing the peace treaty the next day. NYK’s Akagi Maru(Ⅱ) was the first post-war vessel to call at the port of New York while flying the rising sun. It took about 10 years for the Japanese merchant marine to return trade routes to pre-war levels and to return to the oceans of the world at large.
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  Hikawa Maru on her first voyage to Seattle since the war’s end

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  Switch Handle for Heian Maru(Ⅱ) keel laying ceremony

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  Souvenir from the occupying force

7　Development into a Comprehensive Shipping Company

• In 1956, an Economic White Paper declared that ‘‘it was no longer a post-war economy’’ and Japan was at the threshold of spectacular growth. A major change was about to visit the shipping sector as well. Demand increased for specialized carriers of oil and iron ore as the economy shifted to heavy industries.
  In 1959, NYK ventured into a new activity – operating oil tankers. By building specialized carriers for importing raw materials and exporting finished goods, NYK contributed to the rapid growth of the economy, for which reduction of transportation cost was essential. On the other hand, other dreams were fading away. In 1960, NYK was regrettably forced to withdraw from passenger business due to the emergence of jet aircraft which made seaborne passenger carriage no longer viable.
  In 1964, NYK merged with Mitsubishi Kaiun and become the leading specialized carrier. The following year, it rose to second place in terms of oil tanker tonnage. In those years, a revolution in transportation was taking place in America. This was containerization, which brought about land-sea, door-to-door transportation.
  NYK lost no time responding to this change, launching its own containerization program. In 1967, it started to build container terminals. In 1968, Hakone Maru, the first Japanese container vessel, was put into service, ushering in Japan’s container age.
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  Tamba Maru, first NYK tanker

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  Tobata Maru, first NYK ore carrier

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  Hakone Maru, Japan’s first full containership

8　Measures for Stable Growth

• High economic growth was coming to an end. In 1973, the fourth Middle East War brought about the first oil crisis, which caused petroleum prices to soar, and the world economy plunged into a depression. The shift to alternative energy sources put the hitherto booming tanker market into a slump. Coupled with the appreciation of the yen and the resultant jump in seamen’s wages, Japanese shipping was losing its competitiveness. To overcome this crisis, NYK stopped building new tankers, and sold some tankers already in hand. Furthermore, by venturing into such new arrangements as ‘‘shikumisen’’, or long-term contract vessels, and mixed-crew vessels, NYK tried to reduce its cost and recover its competitiveness.
  Foreseeing the increase of automobile exports, NYK built the first car carrier, Jintsu Maru, in 1970. By the end of the decade, a fleet of car carriers had been completed. In 1978, a Japanese airline and four shipping lines got together and founded Nippon Cargo Airlines, thereby opening an intermodal route comprising land, sea and air transport. In 1983, LNG carriers were put into service to import liquefied natural gas, which was looked upon as viable alternative to petroleum. To streamline services for exporters to Europe and North America, energy efficiency of container vessels were constantly improved, and vessel size was enlarged. The challenge faced by NYK – to respond promptly and effectively to changing circumstances – remains unchanged.
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  Al Jasra, LNG carrier

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  Loading Air cargo

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  Container Terminal

9　NYK Corner

• The theater provides an introduction to NYK Maritime Museum, NYK Hikawa Maru and NYK Line.
  Moreover, througth the use of touch-panel monitors, visitors can learn more about the NYK group's maritime business.
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Cruise Ship Corner

• Introducting the history of NYK's cruise from Meiji period to present time.
  You can see the model ship and schedules of cruise ship.
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