Description of the attraction
The city of Osaka at the end of the 6th - the first half of the 7th century was called Naniwa and was the capital of Japan. It is located in a place where important trade routes, both sea and land, have always crossed. At the beginning of the 8th century, the capital was moved to Nara, while Naniwa-Osaka remained a major trading city and international port.
To preserve Osaka's maritime history, at the end of the 20th century, the city authorities decided to establish the Maritime Museum. Its construction began in 1998, and already in 2000 the museum received its first visitors. Today this museum is considered one of the largest in the world, its building itself is a landmark of Osaka, and not only the shape of the museum building, but also its location is unusual. The Maritime Museum is a spherical, silvery structure located in Osaka Bay, 15 meters offshore. During the construction of the dome, technologies and materials were used to protect the building from the effects of wind and waves, as well as from seismic shocks.
Inside the dome, there is a replica of a real Japanese merchant ship and many other exhibits located on four floors. The copy of the merchant ship Nanivamaru is the main exhibit of the museum, the name of the ship comes from the ancient name of Osaka - Naniwa. The ship is made of wood in full size. Other museum treasures include many artifacts and objects that will help to gain an idea of the development of maritime trade at the local and international levels. Among them are ukiyo-e engravings, replicas of bow decorations of ships, tools of shipbuilders.
The museum also has two video theaters showing nautical films, including 3D, as well as a yacht simulator where you can try your hand at sailing.
Part of the maritime museum is located on the shore of the bay. This building houses ticket offices and a foyer from which visitors descend into an underground tunnel leading to a silvery dome. The tunnel is 15 meters wide and 60 meters long, although the shortest distance from the shore to the dome is 15 meters. The museum also has an observation deck overlooking the bay.
