Meiji Maru and Monjayaki: Tokyo’s free museum ship and eating Tsukishima-style

Meiji Maru (Photo by David Krigbaum)

Meiji Maru is a ship with unique bragging rights - it’s the reason for a Japanese holiday.

After the shogunate was deposed in 1868 and a new government took power, Japan began its rapid transition from feudalism to a modern industrial nation with a royal figure at its head. The emperors had spent the past 250 years in isolated splendor at the imperial palace but as part of this transition, the new emperor would take on a more public persona. The young Meiji Emperor began touring widely and in 1876 embarked on a tour of the northern wild frontier of Hokkaido aboard a vessel named in his honor, Meiji Maru.

Meiji Maru (Photo by David Krigbaum)

Built for the Japanese government on Glasgow’s River Clyde in 1874, the light house tender had special accommodations for Meiji, so it could be used for his personal needs. After the Hokkaido tour, he returned to Yokohama aboard Meiji Maru on July 20, 1876. In 1941, this became a national holiday and today is still celebrated as Umi no Hi, Marine Day or Ocean Day.

Retired in 1897, Meiji Maru became a training ship for the Tokyo Nautical School and today has the distinctions of being both the nation’s oldest iron-hulled ship and a National Important Cultural Asset. It (figuratively) sails alongside fellow British-built iron-hulled vessels Cutty Sark in London and Star of India in San Diego as a must-see for fans of British vessels from the age of sail’s twilight. And unlike those, she’s free to visit!

Immaculately kept as the most majestic lawn ornament a maritime school could ask for, Meiji Maru is onboard the Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology Etchujima Campus in Koto-ku, Tokyo. Enter the main entrance and turn right, heading between the two 1930s brick school buildings. Visitors have to check in at the museum building but otherwise can wander freely about the decks though I recommend letting a docent escort you.

An elderly mariner and school alumni guided me through Meiji Maru, sharing her history and points of interest along the way. Meiji Maru is clean inside and out, and befitting her purpose and time period, rather plain on the inside, other than its well appointed guest quarters and galley. Emperor Meiji’s bedroom is maintained as it was during his reign. A feature that sets Meiji Maru apart from Cutty Sark and Star of India is that the schooner was built with masts and a steam engine, though sadly the engine room is not open to visitors nor does it have the original engine.

The adjacent museum houses a collection of ship equipment from engines to navigational aids spanning the 20^th century. It’s for the learned student of maritime science rather than those who want to learn how it works, working engine models excepted. Personally, I like staring at old stuff and watching how it evolved.

The ship tour and museum walkthrough only took about an hour and a half and was time most enjoyably spent. Before leaving, also check out the historic buildings on the fence line near the entrance gate, as they are believed to be the oldest celestial observatory in Japan and date to 1903.

Before visiting, please check the website in the links below for availability as it is not open to the public daily. It’s effectively a sizeable teaching implement onboard a school campus, but currently requires no special arrangements to visit. The ship is also not wheel-chair accessible.

Afterwards, I crossed Aioibashi Bridge into the quiet Tsukishima neighborhood for its specialty, monjayaki. It’s similar to okonomiyaki, using the same basic ingredients on a grill, except the batter is thinned and never thickens like a crepe. The ingredients are chopped and mixed into the batter, resulting in a gooey blob of chewy delight that tastes similar to okonomiyaki and likely is more amusing to small children to play with.

Monja Street (Photo by David Krigbaum)

Monjayaki (Photo by David Krigbaum)

The best place for monjayaki is Monja Street, an arcade of little shops and eateries straight out of the 1950s hidden behind the modern façade of skyscrapers that dominate the main road. I picked a shop at random named Warashibe Nibangai-ten and I had no regrets; their signature monjayaki was loaded with fresh seafood from Tsukiji market. Because it was my first time, the staff grilled up the monjayaki for me, but I look forward to coming back and trying my hand at it and maybe try their mentaiko monjayaki. The staff was friendly and also understood English, despite this being off the beaten path for non-Japanese visitors. They said foreigners don’t come through often.

My visit to Tsukishima was short, as I just came for a meal, but there’s more to do and see for those with time to walk about. I’ve included the Monja Street website link at the bottom to help you better plan your own trip to the area.

The nearest train stations to Meiji Maru are Etchujima Station and Monzen-Nakacho subway station; Tsukishima subway station is close to Monjayaki Street.

ADDRESSES (All addresses shown as they appear on Google Maps)

Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology Etchujima Campus (Meiji Maru)

〒135-8533 Tokyo, Koto City, Etchujima, 2 Chome−1−6 東京海洋大学

Phone: 03-5245-7360

https://www.kaiyodai.ac.jp/en/overview/facility/meijimaru/

Monja Street

1 Chome-3-丁目 Tsukishima, Chuo City, Tokyo

MQ7J+PX Chuo City, Tokyo

http://www.monja.gr.jp/

Warashibe Nibangai-ten

1 Chome-20-5 Tsukishima, Chuo City, Tokyo 104-0052

Phone: 03-3534-2929