Kaiten Memorial Museum, Ozushima 回天記念館・大津島
|
|
|
Ozushima island is a short boat ride from Tokuyama Port (photo) near JR Tokuyama Station. The island is known for the training ground for kaiten manned torpedoes during World War II.
|
|
Replica of a kaiten at Tokuyama Port. Note that Ozushima is not pronounced "Otsushima." Some might spell it as Ohzushima to indicate a long vowel O.
|
|
|
About the kaiten.
|
|
Tokuyama Port and boat for Ozushima island. Boat fare is 690 yen (ticket office is opposite of this dock).
|
|
High-speed hydrofoil boat for Ozushima island takes 20 min. There's also a car ferry that takes about 45 min. and the boat fare is the same.
|
|
Inside the hydrofoil boat for Ozushima island.
|
|
Tokuyama industrial complex.
|
|
Arriving Ozushima island. A facility used to train kaiten pilots still remains and the Kaiten Memorial Museum explains about the kaiten manned torpedo and the suicide kaiten pilots.
|
|
A flag on a flag pole on this hill marks the location of the Kaiten Memorial Museum.
|
|
Disembarking on Ozushima island. Be sure to check the return boat schedule since boats don't run that often.
|
|
Our boat leaving Ozushima.
|
|
Map of Ozushima. We are on the lower left of the island.
|
|
Welcome sign on Ozushima.
|
|
Memorial for kaiten pilots.
|
|
Way to the Kaiten Memorial Museum amid camp cabins.
|
|
Tourist map of Ozushima. Go right to see the Kaiten Memorial Museum or go left to see the offshore kaiten training facility.
|
|
I went to see the kaiten training facility first. The path is along the shore.
|
|
Offshore kaiten manned torpedo launch-training facility used to train kaiten pilots still remains.
|
|
Kaiten manned torpedo launch-training facility. This is where they launched practice runs around the island in manned torpedoes.
|
|
Island near Ozushima.
|
|
|
Tunnel ahead.
|
|
This World War II-era tunnel was used to take kaiten torpedoes to the training facility. It now provides access to the training facility.
|
|
Inside the tunnel leading to the kaiten training facility.
|
|
They used a trolley to transport the kaiten from the base to the offshore training facility. The trolley tracks in the tunnel have been filled in.
|
|
Trolley tracks.
|
|
An opening part way in the tunnel.
|
|
View of the kaiten manned torpedo launch-training facility.
|
|
Kaiten manned torpedo launch-training facility on Ozushima island.
|
|
The tunnel also has photos of kaiten and their suicide pilots. Very poignant and sad captions for each photo.
|
|
|
Read the caption.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
More photos on the other tunnel wall.
|
|
|
|
|
Kaiten were launched by a submarine.
|
|
|
|
|
When you come out of the tunnel, the Kaiten manned torpedo launch-training facility is right there.
|
|
Kaiten manned torpedo launch-training facility.
|
|
Kaiten monument
|
|
|
|
About the kaiten training site.
|
|
Kaiten manned torpedo launch-training base was built in 1939. They started using this facility for launch training from Sept. 1944.
|
|
Kaiten manned torpedo launch-training base on Ozushima island, Yamaguchi Prefecture. 回天発射訓練基地跡
|
|
The kaiten pilots trained by piloting the kaiten around the island.
|
|
Remains of the kaiten manned torpedo launch-training facility on Ozushima island, Yamaguchi Prefecture. 回天発射訓練基地跡
|
|
This facility was originally built in 1939 for testing Type 93 torpedoes. This is a launching bay for a torpedo, not kaiten which is too big for this.
|
|
A Type 93 torpedo was 8.5 meters long and 61 cm wide. The kaiten was 14.75 meters long and 1 meter wide which is too big for this torpedo launching bay.
|
|
|
|
A torpedo launching dock. This is too small for a kaiten.
|
|
They launched the kaiten from this dock out in the ocean. They used a crane to hoist it into the water. The kaiten was 14.75 meters long and 1 meter wide.
|
|
Remains of the kaiten crane's foundation.
|
|
About the kaiten manned torpedo launch-training base built in 1939. It started to be used from Sept. 5, 1944 as a kaiten training base.
|
|
Kaiten pilots trained by driving kaitens around the island or around just the eastern part of the island.
|
|
Way back to the tunnel.
|
|
Way to the Kaiten Memorial Museum. It's slightly up the hill.
|
|
Now the Ozushima Primary School, this was where they had the military barracks for kaiten personnel. They transported the kaiten from here to the offshore launch-training facility.
|
|
Forest for international exchange.
|
|
Path to Kaiten Memorial Museum.
|
|
|
Kaiten Memorial Museum on Ozushima island, Yamaguchi Prefecture. Open from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Closed Wed. Admission 300 yen. Free for kids under age 18. 回天記念館
|
|
The Kaiten Memorial Museum has a full-scale replica kaiten torpedo on display right outside.
|
|
The Kaiten Memorial Museum has a full-scale replica kaiten torpedo on display right outside.
|
|
Kaiten manned torpedo replica outside the Kaiten Memorial Museum on Ozushima island, Yamaguchi Prefecture.
|
|
|
|
Periscope of kaiten.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Kaiten pilot seat inside the kaiten.
|
|
|
|
Kaiten engine remnants.
|
|
Kaiten engine remnants.
|
|
Kaiten engine remnants.
|
|
|
|
Monument for kaiten pilots who died.
|
|
|
|
Names of kaiten pilots who died.
|
|
|
|
|
Memorial bell
|
|
View of Seto Inland Sea from the museum.
|
|
|
|
Inside the Kaiten Memorial Museum.
|
|
Photography is allowed inside the museum, but they don't allow you to take pictures of the wall of portraits of those who died as kaiten pilots.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Scale model of wartime Ozushima island.
|
|
Kaiten training routes around Ozushima. The pilots trained by driving the kaiten around the upper or lower half of the island or navigating in a straight line for 3 km. The launch site is on the lower left.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Replica of kaiten's pilot cockpit.
|
|
Replica of kaiten's pilot cockpit seat.
|
|
Replica of kaiten's pilot cockpit.
|
|
|
|
Kaiten mounted on a sub for launching.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Final testaments by kaiten pilots on suicide missions. They were only 18-20 years old.
|
|
|
Exhibits in the Kaiten Memorial Museum.
|
|
|
|
Kaiten hatch.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Drawing of a kaiten being transported to the test launching site on Ozushima.
|
|
|
|
Drawing of a submarine loaded with kaiten sailing away from Ozushima with a seaplane overhead.
|
|
Museum's founder, Katsuro Mori who collected many kaiten-related artifacts for the museum.
|
|
Back to the port.
|
|
Car ferry back to Tokuyama Port.
|
|
Car ferry back to Tokuyama Port. It takes about 45 min. to Tokuyama Port from Ozushima.
|
|
Leaving Ozushima.
|
|
|
Kaiten Memorial Museum can be seen on this hillside with the flag pole.
|
|
|
It's a scenic boat ride between Ozushima and Tokuyama in the Seto Inland Sea with lots of boats.
|
|
|
Oil refineries along Tokuyama.
|
|
|
|
Leaving Ozushima.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Quite a few islands in the Seto Inland Sea are scarred by cement makers.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Secluded beach on an island. So many islands in Seto Island Sea.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tokuyama, Shunan
|
|
|
|
Tokuyama Port offloading a container ship for Costco.
|
|
Tokuyama Port offloading a container ship for Costco.
|
|
Tokuyama Port offloading a container ship for Costco.
|
|
Tokuyama Port offloading a container ship for Costco.
|
|
|
Tokuyama's coast is lined with industry.
|
|
|
Tokuyama industrial zone in Shunan, Yamaguchi Prefecture.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Approaching Tokuyama Port.
|
|
|
|
Large car ferry at Tokuyama Port.
|
|
|
|
|
|
