NYK Hikawa Maru

The NYK Hikawa Maru is a beautifully preserved ocean liner permanently moored along Yamashita Park, where its black-and-white hull has become one of Yokohama's most recognisable waterfront landmarks. Launched in 1930 for the Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) shipping line, this elegant vessel once carried passengers and cargo across the Pacific between Yokohama and Seattle, and today it serves as a floating museum that lets visitors step aboard a genuine pre-war luxury liner and walk its decks, saloons and engine room.

In its heyday the Hikawa Maru was celebrated as the 'Queen of the Pacific', and it enjoyed a remarkable and storied career. Its passenger list famously included the film star Charlie Chaplin, and during the tense years around the Second World War it served variously as a liner and a hospital ship, surviving the conflict — including reportedly striking mines — when many of its contemporaries were lost. This longevity means the ship on display is the real thing: an authentic survivor of the golden age of ocean travel, now designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan.

The great pleasure of a visit is exploring the ship's interiors, which retain the glamour of 1930s transpacific travel. The first-class public rooms are a showcase of Art Deco design, from the grand staircase and the wood-panelled social hall to the first-class dining saloon and the children's playroom, their fittings evoking an era when a Pacific crossing was a stately, weeks-long affair. Visitors can also see restored passenger cabins, the bridge and wheelhouse, and descend to the cavernous engine room to inspect the machinery that drove the ship. Informative displays throughout recount the vessel's history, the story of NYK and the experience of ocean travel in the age before jet aircraft.

Beyond the interiors, the open decks are a highlight in their own right, offering fresh sea air and fine views across Yokohama Bay toward the Minato Mirai skyline and the harbour bridge — a lovely spot for photographs, particularly toward sunset. The ship sits at the heart of the Yamashita Park waterfront, adjacent to lawns, the marine tower and a string of other attractions, so it combines effortlessly with a harbour-front stroll. Facilities include restrooms and a shop, and much of the ship is accessible, though the nature of a historic vessel means some areas involve steep stairs and thresholds.

The Hikawa Maru is closed on Mondays, keeps daytime hours and charges a modest admission. It is a three-minute walk from Motomachi-Chukagai Station on the Minatomirai Line, or an enjoyable harbourside walk from Kannai. Allow about an hour to tour the decks and interiors. For anyone drawn to maritime history, vintage design or simply the romance of the great ocean liners, stepping aboard this survivor of the Pacific run is a memorable Yokohama experience.