Kure Naval Arsenal, Naval shipyard in Kure, Japan.
The Kure Naval Arsenal is a naval shipyard in Kure, Japan, stretching along the coast of Hiroshima Prefecture. The facility includes several concrete dry docks, manufacturing halls, and engineering workshops that remain in operation today.
French engineer Louis-Émile Bertin oversaw the construction of the naval facility starting in 1890, which became a central site for Imperial Navy shipbuilding. The shipyard built numerous warships over the following decades and grew into one of the largest production sites in the Pacific region.
The former naval site now houses the Yamato Museum, where visitors can trace shipbuilding history through models and exhibits. The name Kure comes from an old term for the bay, which has always served as a natural harbor.
The complex remains in operation as a shipyard under Japan Marine United Corporation and is not open to the public. The nearby museum, however, offers insight into the history and engineering of the shipbuilding facility.
The shipyard built the battleship Yamato in 1940, which at 263 meters (863 feet) in length remained the largest of its kind by displacement. Today, a scale reconstruction in the museum recalls this vessel and the craftsmanship of that era.
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