Meiji Maru, Museum ship at Tokyo University of Marine Science campus in Etchujima, Japan

The Meiji Maru is a two-masted sailing ship built in 1873 by Robert Napier and Sons in Govan, Glasgow, for the Japanese government as a lighthouse tender. It is displayed on the Etchujima Campus of Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology. The ship has a two-deck layout, with a salon and a mahogany table on the main deck, and an imperial cabin on the starboard aft side.

The ship was first deployed in 1875 as a lighthouse tender to mark and maintain navigation routes. In 1876, it carried Emperor Meiji during his official tour of northern Japan and subsequently served as a training vessel for maritime students at the university.

The vessel preserves rooms and decorative wooden elements from the Victorian period that were specifically prepared for imperial guests to use during voyages. This craftsmanship shows how the ship played a role connecting the imperial court with maritime exploration and modernization efforts.

The ship is displayed on land at the Etchujima Campus of Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology. It has been open to the public since May 16, 1989, following restoration completed in 1988. Visitors can see the deck and the emperor's cabin, including the mahogany table in the stern salon.

This vessel stands as the only surviving 19th-century steel ship still in Japan and earned protected status as a cultural property in 1978. This designation reflects its rare value as a tangible link to Japan's maritime modernization during the Meiji period.