Seikan Ferry Memorial Ship Mashu-maru is a historic museum ship in Hakodate that preserves the story of the railway ferries that once connected Hokkaido and Honshu across the Tsugaru Strait. Once known as the “Queen of the Strait,” the elegant vessel now serves as a floating museum where visitors can experience the atmosphere of a working ferry.
Mashu-maru continued sailing until 1988, when the opening of the Seikan Tunnel brought an end to the railway ferry service. Today, parts of the ship have been opened to the public, including the bridge and radio room that were used during its active service.
The Seikan Ferry was a railway ferry service that connected Aomori Station, the terminus of the railway network on Honshu, with Hakodate Station in Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait.
The service operated for approximately 80 years, from 1908 to 1988. Before the completion of the Seikan Tunnel, these ferries played an essential role in transporting railway passengers and freight between the two islands.
Construction of the Seikan Tunnel, a railway tunnel running beneath the seabed of the Tsugaru Strait, took 24 years. When the tunnel was completed in 1988, the long-running ferry service completed its historic mission.
Today, Mashu-maru allows visitors to step aboard and explore a vessel that once played an important role in Japan’s transportation network. Walking through the ship provides a tangible connection with an era when crossing the Tsugaru Strait by ferry was an essential part of long-distance rail travel.
One of the most fascinating areas is the bridge and radio room, preserved in the form used during the ship’s working days. The bridge was where the captain and crew navigated the vessel, while the radio room handled communications during voyages.
The museum contains valuable materials connected with the Seikan Ferry service, including voyage logs and other historical documents. These exhibits help visitors understand the daily operations and long history of the ferry system.
Photographs, equipment, and other materials introduce the people and technology behind the service, giving a more complete picture of the role these vessels played in connecting Hokkaido with the rest of Japan.
The Ship Structure Exhibition Room uses models, videos, and other displays to explain the construction and mechanisms of a large ferry in an easy-to-understand way.
Visitors can learn how the ship was designed and operated while seeing the relationship between its different areas and systems. The exhibits make it possible to appreciate the considerable engineering and organization required to operate a railway ferry across the Tsugaru Strait.
The ship also features a Seaside Salon, a relaxing space where visitors can enjoy views of Hakodate Port and Mount Hakodate.
Looking out across the harbor from a ship that once crossed the Tsugaru Strait creates a particularly evocative experience. The view also provides a sense of the importance of Hakodate as a gateway between Hokkaido and Honshu.
For many years, crossing the Tsugaru Strait meant boarding a ferry rather than passing through an undersea tunnel. The Seikan Ferry became an indispensable part of Japan’s railway network, carrying people and goods between the two major islands.
With the opening of the Seikan Tunnel in 1988, this chapter of transportation history came to an end. Mashu-maru preserves that history as an actual ship that visitors can board, making it far more tangible than simply viewing photographs or documents in a conventional museum.
Located close to Hakodate Station, Mashu-maru is an easy addition to a sightseeing itinerary. Its distinctive silhouette on the waterfront makes it an attractive destination for anyone interested in railways, ships, engineering, or the history of modern Japan.
Whether you are fascinated by transportation history or simply want to experience something different in Hakodate, the museum ship offers an engaging journey into the past. Step aboard Mashu-maru and discover the story of the ferry that once connected Hokkaido and Honshu across the Tsugaru Strait.
April - October 8:30 - 18:00
November - March: 9:00-17:00
Open all year round
Adults 500 yen
Children and students 250 yen
5 min. walk from JR Hakodate Station [0.4 km].
20 min. by bus from Hakodate Airport (alight at Hakodate Ekimae Bus Stop)