Japanese ship names follow different conventions from those typical in the West. Merchant ship names often contain the word ''maru'' at the end (meaning ''circle''), while warships are never named after people, but rather after objects such as mountains, islands, weather phenomena, or animals.

Merchant ships

The word is often attached to Japanese ship names. The first ship known to follow this practice was the ''Nippon Maru'', flagship of ''

daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and no ...

Toyotomi Hideyoshi , otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period, Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods and regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: ...

's 16th century fleet. Several theories purport to explain this practice: *The most common is that ships were thought of as floating

castles A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble. This i ...

, and the word referred to the defensive "circles" or ''maru'' that protected the castle. *The suffix ''-maru'' is often applied to words representing something beloved, and sailors applied this suffix to their ships. *The term ''maru'' is used in divination and represents perfection or completeness, or the ship as "a small world of its own". *The myth of '' Hakudo Maru'', a celestial being that came to earth and taught humans how to build ships. It is said that the name ''maru'' is attached to a ship to secure celestial protection for itself as it travels. *For the past few centuries, only non-warships bore the ''-maru'' ending. Its use was intended as a good hope naming convention that would allow a ship to leave port, travel the world, and return safely to home port: hence the complete circle or "round trip" arriving back at its origin unhurt. *" Hinomaru", or "sun-disc", is a name often applied to the national flag of Japan. Today many commercial and private ships are still named using this convention.

Warships

Early conventions

When the

Imperial Japanese Navy The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, Potsdam Declaration, when it was dissolved followin ...

was formed, the Ministry of the Navy submitted potential ship names to the

Emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

for approval. During the early years ships were often donated by the

Shogunate , officially , was the title of the military rulers of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, except during parts of the Kamak ...

Japanese clans This is a list of Japanese clans. The old clans (''gōzoku'') mentioned in the ''Nihon Shoki'' and ''Kojiki'' lost their political power before the Heian period, during which new aristocracies and families, ''kuge'', emerged in their place. After ...

and the original clan names were kept. In 1891 the procedure was changed due to changes in the government structure. Two ship names were submitted by the Minister of the Navy to the

Lord Chamberlain The Lord Chamberlain of the Household is the most senior officer of the Royal Households of the United Kingdom, Royal Household of the United Kingdom, supervising the departments which support and provide advice to the Monarchy of the United Ki ...

who then presented the choices to the Emperor. The Emperor could either pick one of the suggested names or one of his own devising. Ships captured during the

First Sino-Japanese War The First Sino-Japanese War (25 July 189417 April 1895), or the First China–Japan War, was a conflict between the Qing dynasty of China and the Empire of Japan primarily over influence in Joseon, Korea. In Chinese it is commonly known as th ...

kept their original names but with Japanese pronunciation. For example, the Chinese battleship ''Chen Yuan'' became ''Chin'en'' in Japanese service. In 1876 the Minister of the Navy was given the authority to choose the names of

torpedo boat A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval ship designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs were steam-powered craft dedicated to ramming enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes. Later evolutions launched variants of ...

s without imperial approval. In 1902 the authority to name

destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...

s was delegated to the Minister of the Navy as well. In 1895 a proposal was made by the Minister of the Navy in an attempt to establish some standard. He proposed that battleships and cruisers be named for provinces or shrines dedicated to protecting Japan, that names of other warships be selected from the names for Japan or provinces. Ships captured during the

Russo-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War (8 February 1904 – 5 September 1905) was fought between the Russian Empire and the Empire of Japan over rival imperial ambitions in Manchuria and the Korean Empire. The major land battles of the war were fought on the ...

were renamed with Japanese names. Some of these vessels were given names related to where they were captured or some other aspect of the war, such as the month of capture. Some Russian ships were given Japanese names that were phonetically similar to their original Russian names (example: ''Angara'' became ''Anegawa''). In 1921 the Minister of the Navy was given authority to name all ships except

battleship A battleship is a large, heavily naval armour, armored warship with a main battery consisting of large naval gun, guns, designed to serve as a capital ship. From their advent in the late 1880s, battleships were among the largest and most form ...

battlecruiser The battlecruiser (also written as battle cruiser or battle-cruiser) was a type of capital ship of the first half of the 20th century. These were similar in displacement, armament and cost to battleships, but differed in form and balance of att ...

s, and

cruiser A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several operational roles from search-and-destroy to ocean escort to sea ...

s. In any event the Navy had to report the new name to the Emperor immediately.

Establishment of ship naming conventions 1905

On 23 April 1905, Naval Minister Gonbee Yamamoto reported to the throne about a new ship naming standard. It was decided on 1 August 1905. *

Battleship A battleship is a large, heavily naval armour, armored warship with a main battery consisting of large naval gun, guns, designed to serve as a capital ship. From their advent in the late 1880s, battleships were among the largest and most form ...

provinces A province is an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outside Italy. The term ''provi ...

, or alternate

names of Japan The word ''Japan'' is an endonym and exonym, exonym, and is used (in one form or another) by many languages. The Japanese language, Japanese names for Japan are () and (). They are both written in Japanese using the kanji . Since the third ce ...

First First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...

class

(and over 7,500 tons displacement): mountains * Second class cruiser (and over 3,500 tons displacement—less than 7,500 tons displacement): put the initial ''Ni'' (に) * Third class cruiser (less than 3,500 tons displacement): put the initial ''Ha'' (は) *Other ship names: They were named voluntarily by Naval Minister. However, second class and third class cruisers ended up with river names because it became complicated. It passed through some changes afterwards, the broad categories of names are given here, with examples, however, if the name is the succession to a ship's name, it is excluded from following contents. *

Aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and hangar facilities for supporting, arming, deploying and recovering carrier-based aircraft, shipborne aircraft. Typically it is the ...

s—special names (Many of them are an inheritance from the warship name in the

Bakumatsu were the final years of the Edo period when the Tokugawa shogunate Meiji Restoration, ended. Between 1853 and 1867, under foreign diplomatic and military pressure, Japan ended its isolationist foreign policy known as and changed from a Feudali ...

and the

Meiji period The was an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonizatio ...

).Shizuo Fukui (1996), p. 45. In fact, names related to flying animals, actual or mythological, were used. **Fleet aircraft carrier; put the initial ''Ryū'' (龍, dragon), ''Tsuru (Kaku)'' (鶴, crane) or ''Ōtori (Hō)'' (鳳, phoenix) before/after her name *** ''Hōshō'' (鳳翔) Flying phoenix *** ''Ryūjō'' (龍驤) Prancing dragon *** ''Hiryū'' (飛龍) Flying dragon *** ''Sōryū'' (蒼龍) Blue (or green) dragon *** ''Shōkaku'' (翔鶴) Flying crane *** ''Zuikaku'' (瑞鶴) Auspicious crane *** ''Taihō'' (大鳳) Great phoenix **Converted warship; put the initial ''Ōtori (Hō)'' (鳳, phoenix) after her name *** ''Zuihō'' (瑞鳳) Fortunate phoenix *** ''Chitose'' (千歳) and ''Chiyoda'' (千代田) did not change their name by a vote by the crews. **Converted merchant ship; put the initial ''Taka (Yō)'' (鷹, falcon/hawk) after her name *** (隼鷹) Peregrine falcon **And after 4 June 1943—added provinces and mountains *** ''Amagi'' (天城)

Mount Amagi is a range of volcano, volcanic mountains in central Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, forming the border between Izu, Shizuoka, Izu City and Higashiizu, Shizuoka, Higashi-Izu Town. It is also referred to as the . The Amagi mountain ...

*** ''Katsuragi'' (葛城) Mount Yamato-Katsuragi on prefectural boundary

Nara prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Nara Prefecture has a population of 1,321,805 and has a geographic area of . Nara Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the north, Osaka Prefecture to the ...

—

Osaka Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Osaka Prefecture has a population of 8,778,035 () and has a geographic area of . Osaka Prefecture borders Hyōgo Prefecture to the northwest, Kyoto Prefecture to the north, Nara ...

*Battleships, including those converted into aircraft carriers—

and alternate names for Japan. ** ''Nagato'' (長門)

Nagato province , often called , was a province of Japan. It was at the extreme western end of Honshū, in the area that is today Yamaguchi Prefecture. Nagato bordered on Iwami and Suō Provinces. History Although the ancient capital of the province was Shimono ...

** ''Yamato'' (大和)

Yamato Province was a province of Japan, located in Kinai, corresponding to present-day Nara Prefecture in Honshū. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric (2005). "Yamato" in . It was also called . Yamato consists of two characters, 大 "great", and 和 " Wa". At first, th ...

(also an alternate name for Japan and its people) ** ''Kaga'' (加賀)

Kaga Province was a province of Japan in the area that is today the south and western portion of Ishikawa Prefecture in the Hokuriku region of Japan. Kaga bordered on Echizen, Etchū, Hida, and Noto Provinces. It was part of Hokurikudō Circuit. Its ...

** ''Fusō'' (扶桑)

Fusang Fusang is a mythical world tree or place located far east of China. In the ''Classic of Mountains and Seas'' and several contemporary texts, the term refers to a mythological tree of life, alternatively identified as a mulberry or a hibiscus, al ...

(another name of Japan) *

Battlecruiser The battlecruiser (also written as battle cruiser or battle-cruiser) was a type of capital ship of the first half of the 20th century. These were similar in displacement, armament and cost to battleships, but differed in form and balance of att ...

s and heavy cruisers, including those converted into aircraft carriers—mountains ** ''Kongō'' (金剛) Mount Kongō, a mountain in

Osaka prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Osaka Prefecture has a population of 8,778,035 () and has a geographic area of . Osaka Prefecture borders Hyōgo Prefecture to the northwest, Kyoto Prefecture to the north, Nara ...

** ''Kirishima'' (霧島) Mount Kirishima, a volcano in

Kagoshima prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu and the Ryukyu Islands. Kagoshima Prefecture has a population of 1,527,019 (1 February 2025) and has a geographic area of 9,187 Square kilometre, km2 (3,547 Square m ...

** ''Akagi'' (赤城) Mount Akagi, a volcano in the

Kantō region The is a geography, geographical region of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. In a common definition, the region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures of Japan, prefectures: Chiba Prefecture, Chiba, Gunma Prefe ...

** ''Chōkai'' (鳥海)

Mount Chōkai is an active volcano located on the border of Akita and Yamagata in the Tōhoku region of Japan, and is tall. Because of its (roughly) symmetrical shape and massive size, it is also variously known as , or depending on the location of the vi ...

, a volcano in the

Tōhoku region The , Northeast region, , or consists of the northeastern portion of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. This traditional region consists of six prefectures (): Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi, and Yamagata. Tōhoku retains ...

Light cruiser A light cruiser is a type of small or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck. Prior to thi ...

s, including those converted into heavy cruisers—river names ** ''Tone'' (利根)

Tone River The is a river in the Kantō region of Japan. It is in length (the second longest in Japan after the Shinano River) and has a drainage area of (the largest in Japan). It is nicknamed Bandō Tarō (); ''Bandō'' is an obsolete alias of the ...

, a river in the

** (筑摩) Chikuma River, a river in

Nagano prefecture is a Landlocked country, landlocked Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Nagano Prefecture has a population of 2,007,682 () and has a geographic area of . Nagano Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture ...

** ''Suzuya'' (鈴谷) Suzuya River, a river in

Karafuto prefecture , was established by the Empire of Japan in 1907 to govern the southern part of Sakhalin. This territory became part of the Empire of Japan in 1905 after the Russo-Japanese War, when the portion of Sakhalin south of 50°N was ceded by the R ...

(now

Sakhalin Sakhalin ( rus, Сахали́н, p=səxɐˈlʲin) is an island in Northeast Asia. Its north coast lies off the southeastern coast of Khabarovsk Krai in Russia, while its southern tip lies north of the Japanese island of Hokkaido. An islan ...

) ** ''Yūbari'' (夕張) Yūbari River, a river in

Hokkaidō is the second-largest island of Japan and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by railway via the Seikan Tunnel. The ...

* Training cruisers (post-1940)—

Shinto shrine A Stuart D. B. Picken, 1994. p. xxiii is a structure whose main purpose is to house ("enshrine") one or more kami, , the deities of the Shinto religion. The Also called the . is where a shrine's patron is or are enshrined.Iwanami Japanese dic ...

s ** ''Katori'' (香取) Katori Shrine *

Destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...

s **Until 27 August 1912—weather, wind, tide, current, wave, moon, season, other natural phenomenon, plants **And after 28 August 1912 ***First class destroyers (and over 1,000 tons displacement)—weather, wind, tide, current, wave, moon, season, other natural phenomenon **** (雷) Thunder **** ''Yukikaze'' (雪風) Snowy wind **** ''Michishio'' (満潮) High tide **** ''Oyashio'' (親潮)

Oyashio Current The , also known as the Okhotsk Current or Kurile Current, is a cold subarctic ocean current that flows south and circulates counterclockwise in the western North Pacific Ocean. The waters of the Oyashio Current originate in the Arctic Ocean ...

**** ''Sazanami'' (漣) Ripples on the water surface **** (高波) High wave **** ''Mikazuki'' (三日月) Crescent moon **** (夕雲) Evening cloud **** (夕立) Evening squall **** ''Mutsuki'' (睦月) January in lunar calendar **** (若葉) Young leaves **** (夕暮) Twilight **** (響) Echo ***Second class destroyers (and over 600 tons displacement—less than 1,000 tons displacement)—plants **** ''Nara'' (楢)

Oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

**** ''Momi'' (樅)

Abies firma ''Abies firma'', the momi fir, is a species of fir native to central and southern Japan, growing at low to moderate altitudes of 50–1200 m. ''Abies firma'' is a medium-sized to large evergreen coniferous tree growing to tall and in trunk dia ...

**** ''Sanae'' (早苗) Rice sprouts **Between 12 October 1921—31 July 1928 under the Eight-eight fleet programme ***First class destroyers ( ''Kamikaze'' class, ''Mutsuki'' class and ''Fubuki'' class)—Odd numbers from 1 to 27, consecutive numbers and after 28 **** Destroyer No. 1 (第1駆逐艦), renamed ''Kamikaze'' on 1 August 1928 **** Destroyer No. 46 (第46号駆逐艦), renamed ''Shikinami'' on 6 August 1928 ***Second class destroyers ( ''Wakatake'' class)—Even numbers from '2' to '26' **** Destroyer No. 18 (第18駆逐艦), renamed ''Karukaya'' on 1 August 1928 **And after 4 June 1943 *** Type 'A' destroyers—rain, tide ****''Akisame'' (秋雨) Autumn rain ****''Takashio'' (高潮) High tide *** Type 'B' destroyers—wind, moon, cloud, season ****''Yamazuki'' (山月) Moon over a mountain ****''Yukigumo'' (雪雲) Snow cloud ****''Hae'' (南風) South wind of dialect word in

Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan. It consists of three main island groups—the Okinawa Islands, the Sakishima Islands, and the Daitō Islands—spread across a maritime zone approximately 1,000 kilometers east to west an ...

, standard Japanese is ''Minamikaze'' ****''Hayaharu'' (早春) Early spring *** Type 'D' destroyers—plants **** ''Matsu'' (松) Pine tree **** (梨)

Pyrus pyrifolia ''Pyrus pyrifolia'' is a species of pear tree native to southern China and northern Indochina that has been introduced to Korea, Japan and other parts of the world. The tree's edible fruit is known by many names, including Asian pear, Persian pea ...

****''Wakakusa'' (若草) Spring grass *

Torpedo boat A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval ship designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs were steam-powered craft dedicated to ramming enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes. Later evolutions launched variants of ...

s **Until 15 January 1924 ***First class torpedo boats (and over 120 tons displacement)—birds **** ''Hayabusa'' (隼) Peregrine falcon ***Second class and third class torpedo boats (less than 120 tons displacement)—consecutive number from '1' **** ''Torpedo boat No. 21'' (第21号水雷艇) **And after 30 May 1931—birds *** ''Chidori'' (千鳥) Plover *** ''Kiji'' (雉) Pheasant *

Submarine A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or infor ...

s **Until 31 October 1924—consecutive number from '1' *** ''Submarine No. 1'' (第1潜水艦) *** ''Submarine No. 44'' (第44号潜水艦) **And after 1 November 1924 ***First class submarines (and over 1,000 tons displacement) — 'I' (伊) and consecutive number from '1', 'I' is first letter in the

Iroha The is a Japanese poem. Originally the poem was attributed to Kūkai, the founder of Shingon Buddhism, but more modern research has found the date of composition to be later in the Heian period (794–1179). The first record of its existence ...

**** ''I-1'' (伊号第1潜水艦) ''I-Gō Dai-1 sensuikan'' **** ''I-51'' (伊号第51潜水艦) ''I-Gō Dai-51 sensuikan'' ***Second class submarines (and over 500 tons displacement — less than 1,000 tons displacement) — 'Ro' (呂) and consecutive number from '1', 'Ro' is second letter in the Iroha **** ''Ro-1'' (呂号第1潜水艦) ''Ro-Gō Dai-1 sensuikan'' **** ''Ro-51'' (呂号第51潜水艦) ''Ro-Gō Dai-51 sensuikan'' ***Third class submarines (less than 500 tons displacement)—'Ha' (波) and consecutive number from '1', 'Ha' is third letter in the Iroha, third class submarines were unified to second class submarines on 30 May 1931 **** ''Ha-1'' (波号第1潜水艦) ''Ha-Gō Dai-1 sensuikan'' **** ''Ha-9'' (波号第9潜水艦) ''Ha-Gō Dai-9 sensuikan'' *

Gunboat A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies. History Pre-steam ...

s—places of scenic beauty and historic interest ** ''Ataka'' (安宅) ''Ataka-no-Seki'' is a barrier station in

Kamakura period The is a period of History of Japan, Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the G ...

** ''Suma'' (須磨) '' Suma-no-Ura'' is beauty spot in

Hyōgo Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Hyōgo Prefecture has a population of 5,469,762 () and a geographic area of . Hyōgo Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the east, Osaka Prefecture to th ...

* Coast defence ship/Escort ships **Until 30 June 1942—Island *** ''Shimushu'' (占守)

Shumshu Shumshu (; ; ) is the easternmost and second-northernmost island of the Kuril Islands chain, which divides the Sea of Okhotsk from the northwest Pacific Ocean. The name of the island is derived from the Ainu language, meaning "good island". It i ...

is one of the

Kuril Islands The Kuril Islands or Kurile Islands are a volcanic archipelago administered as part of Sakhalin Oblast in the Russian Far East. The islands stretch approximately northeast from Hokkaido in Japan to Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia, separating the ...

**And after 1 July 1942 ***Type 'A' and Type 'B' Escort ships—Island **** ''Etorofu'' (択捉)

Iturup Iturup (; ), also historically known by #Names, other names, is an island in the Kuril Archipelago separating the Sea of Okhotsk from the North Pacific Ocean. The town of Kurilsk, administrative center of Kurilsky District, is located roughly mi ...

**** ''Okinawa'' (沖縄)

Okinawa Island , officially , is the largest of the Okinawa Islands and the Ryukyu Islands, Ryukyu (''Nansei'') Islands of Japan in the Kyushu region. It is the smallest and least populated of the five Japanese archipelago, main islands of Japan. The island is ...

*** Type 'C' escort ships—Odd numbers from '1' *** Type 'D' escort ships—Even numbers from '2' *

Submarine tender A submarine tender, in British English a submarine depot ship, is a type of depot ship that supplies and supports submarines. Development Submarines are small compared to most oceangoing vessels, and generally cannot carry large amounts of foo ...

s—whales ** ''Jingei'' (迅鯨) Swift whale *

Seaplane tender A seaplane tender is a boat or ship that supports the operation of seaplanes. Some of these vessels, known as seaplane carriers, could not only carry seaplanes but also provided all the facilities needed for their operation; these ships are rega ...

s—abstract noun, idiomatic word, notable achievement vessels in past war ** ''Chitose'' (千歳) Long life ** ''Mizuho'' (瑞穂) another name of Japan, ''The Land of Vigorous Rice Plants'' by literal translation ** ''Nisshin'' (日進) succession to ship name ''Nisshin'' ** ''Akitsushima'' (秋津州) succession to ship name ''Akitsushima'' *

Minelayer A minelayer is any warship, submarine, military aircraft or land vehicle deploying explosive mines. Since World War I the term "minelayer" refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines. "Mine planting" was the term for ins ...

s **as warship (fitted imperial seal on bow)—Island, islands, ancient battlefield *** ''Itsukushima'' (厳島) ancient battlefield of the

Battle of Miyajima The 1555 was the only battle to be fought on the sacred island of Miyajima; the entire island is considered to be a Shinto shrine, and no birth or death is allowed on the island. Extensive purification rituals took place after the battle, to cl ...

(Itsukushima Kassen) *** ''Okinoshima'' (沖島) Okinoshima, and battlefield of the

Battle of Tsushima The Battle of Tsushima (, ''Tsusimskoye srazheniye''), also known in Japan as the , was the final naval battle of the Russo-Japanese War, fought on 27–28 May 1905 in the Tsushima Strait. A devastating defeat for the Imperial Russian Navy, the ...

*** ''Yaeyama'' (八重山)

Yaeyama Islands The Yaeyama Islands (八重山列島 ''Yaeyama-rettō'', also 八重山諸島 ''Yaeyama-shotō'', Yaeyama: ''Yaima'', Yonaguni: ''Daama'', Okinawan: ''Yeema'', Northern Ryukyuan: ''Yapema'') are an archipelago in the southwest of Okinawa Pref ...

**as mine boat and cable layer—cape, point, island, islet *** ''Sokuten'' (測天) Sokuten Island is one of the island of the

Penghu The Penghu ( , Hokkien Pe̍h-ōe-jī, POJ: ''Phîⁿ-ô͘'' or ''Phêⁿ-ô͘'' ) or Pescadores Islands are an archipelago of 90 islands and islets in the Taiwan Strait, about west of the main island of Taiwan across the Penghu Ch ...

*** ''Shirakami'' (白神) Cape Shirakami **as auxiliary minelayer—numbered name *** ''Auxiliary minelayer No. 1'' (第1号敷設特務艇) * Netlayers **as warship (fitted imperial seal on bow) ***Until 3 June 1943—put the initial Taka (鷹, hawk) after her name **** ''Shirataka'' (白鷹) White hawk ***And after 4 June 1943—birds **** ''Asadori'' (朝鳥) Birds in morning **as net laying boat—birds *** ''Tsubame'' (燕)

Barn swallow The barn swallow (''Hirundo rustica'') is the most widespread species of swallow in the world, occurring on all continents, with vagrants reported even in Antarctica. It is a distinctive passerine bird with blue upperparts and a long, deeply f ...

Auxiliary ship An auxiliary ship is a naval ship designed to support combatant ships and other naval operations. Auxiliary ships are not primary combatant vessels, though they may have some limited combat capacity, usually for purposes of self-defense. Auxili ...

s **Collier, oiler, icebreaker, freighter, repair ship, self-propelled target ship, munition ship—cape, point, strait, channel, bay, port *** ''Wakamiya'' (若宮) Cape Wakamiya; her first classification was transport ship. Cape Wakamiya (Wakamiya-zaki) is in Wakamiya Island,

Oki Islands The is an archipelago in the Sea of Japan, the islands of which are administratively part of Oki District, Shimane Prefecture, Japan. The islands have a total area of . Only four of the around 180 islands are permanently inhabited. Much of the ...

*** ''Akashi'' (明石) Akashi Strait is water between the Akashi and Awaji Island *** ''Nojima'' (野島) Cape Nojima in

Bōsō Peninsula The is a peninsula that encompasses the entirety of Chiba Prefecture on Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It is part of the Greater Tokyo Area. It forms the eastern edge of Tokyo Bay, separating it from the Pacific Ocean. The peninsula covers ...

*** ''Hayasui'' (速吸) Hayasui-no-Seto is former name of the Hōyo Strait *** ''Ōtomari'' (大泊) Port of Ōtomari in southern

Sakhalin Island Sakhalin ( rus, Сахали́н, p=səxɐˈlʲin) is an island in Northeast Asia. Its north coast lies off the southeastern coast of Khabarovsk Krai in Russia, while its southern tip lies north of the Japanese island of Hokkaido. An islan ...

**Minesweeper, landing ship, patrol boat, motor torpedo boat, submarine chaser — numbered name *** Minesweeper No. 1 (第1号掃海艇) *** Landing ship No. 1 (第1号輸送艦) *** Patrol boat No. 1 (第1号哨戒艇) *** Motor torpedo boat No. 1 (第1号魚雷艇) *** ''Submarine chaser No. 1'' (第1号駆潜艇) *

Miscellaneous ship {{Short pages monitor