Renovated and Renamed Hikawa Maru Opens
April 16, 2008
Hikawa Maru, which had been undergoing renovations since August 2007, was officially renamed NYK Hikawa Maru and opened today at an elaborate ceremony held at the wharf adjacent to Yamashita Park in Yokohama. The event was attended by Yokohama mayor Hiroshi Nakata and a number of other distinguished guests. New vessels are often symbolically launched by cutting a rope leading to the ship, and actress Yoshie Ichige, whose father served as a ship doctor on an NYK vessel years ago, proudly cut the rope for the “launch” of NYK Hikawa Maru. Prior to the ceremony, the press was given a tour of the newly renovated ship.
Hikawa Maru was delivered to NYK on April 25, 1930, and originally served as a passenger - cargo ship before being requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese navy during World War II to serve as a hospital ship. The vessel fortunately survived the war, and afterward was used for both cargo and passenger transport through turbulent years until this ship’s removal from service in 1960. The ship was then permanently moored at the port of Yokohama and used as a floating museum. However, after more than 75 years of service, the ship was in need of repair so that it could continue to serve as a valuable witness to history.
The renovated ship has an elegant first - class dining room, first - class smoking room, and cabins that include a special suite in the Art Deco style that was common during the ship’s heydays. Visitors can also view large - screen video and photographs of the Hikawa Maru over the years.
At the ceremony, Norio Kanaya, the first captain for NYK Hikawa Maru, commented, "So many of us have been greatly looking forward to this moment. NYK Hikawa Maru allows us to glimpse the strength, beauty, and grandeur of days long ago."
The vessel will open to the public on April 25, exactly 78 years after the ship was delivered.