shindaisha

Downloading Auld Lang Syne.Please wait for a while. Every year,in March ,this song is sung at the graduation all over Japan.Thank you. The night train departed Ueno late at night and arrived at Aomori early in the morning. In short, we slept in a carriege with three-layer box of beds. The passengers on the top and the middle layers would hit their foreheads against the ceiling if they even try to sit up on the beds. But we were too exited to sleep. Japan National Railways provided us with well-starched yukata for night clothes, though no space to change. (Aug. 20)

Seikan Ferry started its service in 1908, when only one ship "Hirafu"made a round-trip between Aomori and Hakodate once a day. By 1929, other two ships entered service. In 1934, the trip increased to 9 times a day.

The first Seikan ferry, Hirafu in service: from 1908 to 1924 length: 88.93m tonnage: 1480.44tons speed: 18.36knots turbine: 3367hp capacity: 436 passengers	Hakodate seen from the ferry The 3-hour-cruise was never comfortable. The ship sometimes violently rolled and pitched. We were just SLEEPY and SICK.(Aug.21)

On November 20,1941, floating mines were found, then, the night-time service was suspended. On December 8, the Pacific War began. In July, 1945, the air raid on Aomori and Hakodate completely destroyed the ferries.
In 1947, the service was resumed. Gradually more ships entered service, and in 1972, the round-trip cruise reached its peak, 28-times a day. "Tsugaru" transported the Olympic Flame to Tokyo in 1964, and "Daisetsu" brought the Flame to Sapporo in 1972. In 1979, its mileage reached 600,000 km(375,000miles), in 1985, reached 700,000km(437,500miles).

"Towada" "Drink sake and lie on the floor. This is my only way to forget seasickness," said the man who we met on the ferry on our way home.(Aug.24)

Towada, the ferry which first installed diesel engine, entered service in 1957. This is about its first model.
in service: from 1957 to 1966
length:120.00m
tonnage: 6148.59tons
speed: 16.00knots
diesel: 5403hp
capacity: 1470 assengers

In 1988, the Seikan Undersea Tunnel was completed to start Tsugaru-Strait Line. At last, the Seikan Ferry route was discontinued. The last ships were "Hakkoh-da"(down to Aomori) and "Yoh-tei"(up to Hakodate).The two ships rounded off their careers by cruising between Aomori and Hakodate for the last time, March 13, 1988.

Now Seikan Ferry is replaced by Tsugaru-Strait-Line running through the Seikan-Undersea-Tunnel(53.85km).

Spend a nostalgic night at "Ship Hotel"

Along with the "Seikan Fair--food Festival"(June 3, 1988), Towada and Yoh-tei played the encore-round-trip cruise twice a day until September 18. The two, laid alongside the pier at Aomori port and Hakodate port for each, were used as hotels at night. We stayed at Yoh-tei on August 13. Listening to the wave sound, we were rocked asleep.