Kaiwo Maru II

launched on 7 March 1989, commissioned on 16 September 1989 as replacement for the predecessor "Kaiwo Maru I", which is kept in Tokyo harbour as a stationary training ship.

won the International Sail Training Association's Boston Teapot Trophy for the best 124-hour run under sail of the year in 1990, again in 1991, 1994 and 1995 with the so-far unbroken record of 1,394 miles and until 2000 4 times altogether.

took part in the Columbus Quincentenary celebrations (New York OpSail 92 and Sail Boston 1992), in the 1997 Kagoshima to Osaka Tall Ships Race, in OpSail 2000, and the Tall Ships 2000 Boston to Halifax race which she won both in her own Class A and overall.

in autumn 2004 she run aground at the Japanese coast Toyama Port caused by a heavy typhoon, the crew was rescued but the ship was heavyly damaged, later salvaged and in April 2005 brought to a shipyard for repairs.

2010 visit of San Francisco, USA to commemorate the 1860 voyage of the "Kanrin Maru", the first Japanese ship to officially visit the United States.

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.