Hakodate City Seikan Ferry Memorial Museum: The Mashu Maru

The Mashu Maru was one of the railway ferries that once connected Honshu and Hokkaido.
Launched in 1965, the Mashu Maru was the second vessel to bear this name and the fifth ship in the modern, high-speed Tsugaru Maru class. Built following the retirement of the first Mashu Maru, these ferries significantly improved travel efficiency, reducing the journey between Hakodate and Aomori from approximately four and a half hours to just three hours and fifty minutes. Their speed and innovation earned them the nickname “the Shinkansen of the Sea.”
Remarkably advanced for its time, the ship was equipped with automated navigation systems, including computer-assisted controls, a position-determination system comparable to modern GPS, and collision-avoidance technology. Human operation was required primarily during departure from and arrival at port.
In addition, the vessel was designed with sufficient cruising speed to recover delays of up to about 20 minutes while at sea, ensuring reliable connections with train schedules.
With the opening of the Seikan Tunnel in 1988, the ferry service between Honshu and Hokkaido came to an end.
Today, the Mashu Maru is preserved at Hakodate Port as a museum ship. Its equipment and machinery are displayed much as they were during its years in service, offering visitors an authentic glimpse into its operational past.
As a valuable legacy of the Showa era, the Mashu Maru stands as an important piece of history—one that we hope to pass on to future generations.