The Whale of Iron: Take a tour of the JMSDF Akishio submarine and the Kure Maritime Museum

id=»article-body» class=»row» section=»article-body»> Geoffrey Morrison Just outside Hiroshima, Japan, in the town of Kure, there’s an odd sight: a submarine almost as long as a football field, up on stilts. Amid the buildings with no water in sight, the sleek black and red shape couldn’t look more out of place.

It’s the Akishio, a former submarine of the JMSDF, or Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. Decommissioned in 2004, it was converted to a museum ship as part of a larger JMSDF Maritime Museum.

If that weren’t enough for www.parkmykid.com the area, across the street is the Kure Maritime Museum which, among other interesting objects and displays, houses an amazing 1/10th scale replica of the massive Yamato battleship. It was the largest battleship ever built, and was sunk by American bombers in World War II.

Here’s a full tour.

chasbearden6