Japan Coast Guard Museum

A trophy room of maritime security

Justin Velgus May 22, 2014 - 1 min read

<p>This North Korean spy ship, which was recovered after being sunk by the Japanese coast guard, is proudly displayed at the center of the museum. </p>

<p>The exterior is plain with no English signs.</p>

<p>A side view of the ship. With so many bumps and bruises, it probably sunk relatively quick.</p>

<p>Various info panels in Japanese posted on the walls. </p>

<p>It is a little scary to think people floating in Japanese waters were once holding these. </p>

<p>Bullet holes retell the skirmish on the open sea.</p>

<p>A smaller boat in the back of the warehouse actually hid inside the larger one. </p>

<p>The secret hull to hold the smaller the boat. </p>

<p>Stairs lead to a viewing platform. You can also see a projected video on the opposite wall. </p>

The Japan Coast Guard Museum (工作船展示館) is an admission free warehouse being both a kind of trophy house and display of pride. Located along the bay and behind the iconic Red Brick Warehouse in Yokohama, the building is easy to pass by as there are no English signs and a plain interior. Step inside and you'll see info panels, mostly in Japanese, about the coast guard introducing itself and their contributions to the country.

The Coast Guard has certainly done its part in protecting Japanese waters. There have been nearly a dozen major instances described in part at the museum. In the early 1990's a North Korean ship, no doubt up to dubious activities given its payload of weapons and even being equipped with a machine gun and secret speedboat, was engaged and sunk off the Japanese coast. The boat was recovered and placed inside with several other lesser artifacts.

Justin Velgus @justin.velgus

Justin Velgus (ジャスティンベルガス) is the Miyagi Prefecture expert for Japan Travel and a long-term contributor since 2012 with a focus on the Tohoku region. Justin has written extensively for JT, and other publications such as VisitMiyagi and Sake Today, amassing over 350 published articles...