NYK Hikawa Maru

A wonderful and affordable historical experience. The NYK Hikawa Maru is permanently docked at Yamashita Park in Yokohama, making it an easy and scenic stop along the waterfront. Tickets are available for purchase at the entrance. This beautifully preserved ship was launched in 1930 as a luxury ocean liner for trans-Pacific travel and later served as a hospital ship during WWII. Today, it’s a self-guided museum, allowing you to explore at your own pace. You can walk through multiple decks, including elegant dining rooms, lounges, passenger cabins, crew areas, and the bridge. Signage is clear and includes English translations, which makes the experience very accessible for international visitors. Overall, it’s excellent value, rich in history, and a relaxing, educational visit. Highly recommended for history lovers or anyone visiting Yokohama.

For ¥300, you get an amazing trip back in time to a world of slow but luxurious international travel. The ship is well preserved and the tour routes you through all parts of the ship including the engine room and other guts of the beast. We loved it!

Hikawa Maru is a historic ocean liner permanently moored at Yamashita Park in Yokohama. Built in 1930 by the Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK Line), it served as a luxury passenger ship on the Yokohama–Seattle route. With elegant Art Deco interiors and modern amenities for its time, it quickly became known as the “Queen of the Pacific.” During the Second World War, the ship was converted into a hospital vessel and later returned to civilian service before being retired in 1960 after 30 years at sea. Today, Hikawa Maru functions as a museum ship, preserving its original cabins, dining rooms, and engine room. Visitors can explore the beautifully restored first-class suites, promenade deck, and wheelhouse, as well as exhibitions about Japanese maritime history and the NYK Line’s role in global trade. The ship was designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan in 2016, one of the few preserved pre-war passenger liners in the world. The exhibition route is very well designed, with detailed English explanations. Tickets are surprisingly affordable — just ¥300, or ¥250 with a discount — and a proper visit takes at least an hour and a half. A place absolutely worth seeing, both for its atmosphere and historical value.

The ticket costs ¥300, but you get a discount down to ¥250 if you show the coupon from their website! I DO NOT REGRET coming here at all—it was the BEST decision!!!! I’ve always loved museums anyway, and since I’d never been on a ship before, stepping inside this one was such a cool experience. The interior is super well-maintained, the info boards are really detailed, and I even got to see the engine room??? Awesome! Only downside: I came on a rainy, windy day, so a few spots were hard to reach.

1930s cruise ship. Landmark of Yokohama. Museum ship. Charlie Chaplin was a previous traveller. We toured the boat by ourselves after paying the entrance fee. They have first class areas open for viewing, 3rd class and engine room in the depth of the shop. We did not see any 2nd class cabin. A historic ship

The admission fee is only ¥300, and the ship is nicely preserved. You can really feel the history inside, though it does have that old, musty smell. Small but interesting to walk around.

We visited on a summer Saturday evening, and it wasn’t crowded at all. The ship itself is a historic ocean liner launched in 1929 and once carried celebrities like Charlie Chaplin, and during WWII it served as a hospital ship—making the visit even more fascinating. ( probably an unwanted fact, but Judo founder Kanō Jigorō passed away on board ;) ) There’s plenty of good information about the ship’s history, and at just 300 yen for an adult ticket, the price feels cheap for what you get. We really enjoyed exploring inside. While the cabin rooms are locked, you can peek into them, and there are displays with sample meals set on the dining tables. Some seats are open for visitors to sit on. One small note: maybe because it was summer, there was a mild, mouldy smell that could be uncomfortable for sensitive visitors—so wearing a mask might help.

Probably one of the best museum in Yokohama, very underrated. Art deco interiors in this almost 100 year old cruise ship is exceptional! Even Charley Chaplin loved that ship! Dive deep in the history of Japan having voyage in this place!