Kaiwo Maru I

built for the Japanese Ministry of Transport as merchant navy schoolship to a British design as a four-masted bark at the Kawasaki Dockyard Co., at Kobe, lauched on January 27th, 1930, her sister ship is the "Nippon Maru I".

sailed regular training voyages in the Pacific until the WW II

during the WW II she continued to train officers, although the yards of her rigging were removed and she operated under power only, used for repatriation of Japanese troops and civilians, left under Japanese authority and ownership.

re-rigged and recommissioned in 1955, continued to sail regular training voyages, usually in the Pacific and occasionally taking part in international tall ship events, i.e. at Seattle, Washington State in 1976 and Sail Osaka 1983

decommissioned in 1989, replaced by the "Kaiwo Maru II", kept in Tokyo harbour as a stationary training ship

the word "Kaiwo" means "Sea King", the word "Maru" is appended to most Japanese merchant vessels and it is a term of endearment that also conveys the idea of endeavour.