Nippon 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 "Kaiwo 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 engine power only, used for repatriation of Japanese troops and civilians, left under Japanese authority and ownership.

re-rigged and recommissioned in 1952, continued to sail regular training voyages, usually in the Pacific and occasionally taking part in international tall ship events, visited New York on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Japan's first delegation to the USA in 1960, participated the American Bicentennial celebrations in New York 1976, took part in the international tall-ship gathering at Osaka in 1983.

decommissioned in Septemper 1984, replaced by the "Nippon Maru II", retired as a floating museum at Yokohama, under the management of the Nippon Maru Commemorative Foundation

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