Irohamaru Tenjikan, Maritime museum in Tomo Town, Fukuyama, Japan
The Irohamaru Tenjikan is a maritime museum housed in a converted Edo-period warehouse with white walls and traditional Japanese design elements. The collection displays ship models, navigation tools, and seafaring artifacts that show how Japanese maritime technology developed across different time periods.
The museum was created following the sinking of the Iroha-maru ship, which collided with the Meiko-maru in 1867. This dramatic event prompted the community to preserve and document the ship's story and the impact of this maritime accident.
The name comes from the Iroha-maru ship that sank in 1867 and shaped the town's identity. Visitors can see how the port community has kept this maritime event as part of who they are.
The museum sits in Tomo, a port neighborhood with narrow streets and traditional buildings that are easy to explore on foot. It makes sense to allow time to walk through the surrounding old harbor district as well.
The upper floor contains a reconstructed hidden room where the historical leader Sakamoto Ryoma reportedly took shelter during the incident. A life-sized figure brings this hidden episode to life in an authentic period setting.
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