The Kaiyomaru, a warship of the Tokugawa shogunate, was stranded and sank in a blizzard off the coast of Esashi, Hokkaido, during the Battle of Hakodate in 1868.

In 1974, more than a century after that submergence, the shipwreck was found in Esashi Port. This prompted the launch in 1975 of Japan’s first full-scale investigation into the underwater remains. About 30,000 items, including the ship’s fittings, weapons, and everyday utensils, were salvaged from the seafloor.

This museum, a full-scale restoration of the ship, exhibits nearly 3,000 relics and panels explaining the history behind the battleship.