Kanrin Maru Departure Day

What Is Kanrin Maru Departure Day?

Every January 13th is "Kanrin Maru Departure Day" (咸臨丸出航記念日, Kanrin-maru Shukko Kinenbi) in Japan. On January 13, 1860 (by the lunar calendar then in use — February 10, 1860 by the Gregorian calendar), the Japanese warship Kanrin Maru departed from Shinagawa Bay (品川沖) in Tokyo for its historic voyage to San Francisco — the first crossing of the Pacific Ocean by a Japanese-crewed vessel. This departure date commemorates the moment that a small crew of Japanese sailors set out to prove that Japan could navigate the vast Pacific on its own terms. (See also February 26th, Kanrin Maru Day, for details of the Pacific crossing.)

The Departure's Significance

The Kanrin Maru's departure from Shinagawa on January 13, 1860 was an act of extraordinary national courage and ambition. Japan had been isolated from the world for over two centuries under the sakoku policy; its naval officers had limited experience with ocean navigation; and the Pacific crossing in a steam-and-sail warship was genuinely dangerous in the era's technology. Commander Katsu Kaishū and his crew — including the young Fukuzawa Yukichi — set out knowing the risks and committed to demonstrating that Japan could participate in the modern world on equal terms with Western nations.

Two Commemorations for One Ship

The Kanrin Maru has two commemorative dates because the departure (January 13 / February 10 by the new calendar) and the San Francisco arrival date (February 26 / March 17 new calendar) both mark historically significant moments: the beginning and completion of the first Japanese Pacific crossing. Together they represent the full arc of an achievement that required both the audacity to set out and the skill and perseverance to arrive.

Fun Facts

• Weather difficulties: The Kanrin Maru's Pacific crossing was exceptionally difficult — severe storms forced the crew to accept navigation assistance from American officer John Mercer Brooke for portions of the journey. The combination of Japanese determination and American expertise that got the ship to San Francisco was itself a metaphor for the Japan-US relationship that would develop through the Meiji era.
• Fukuzawa's first impression: When the Kanrin Maru reached San Francisco, Fukuzawa Yukichi tried to find a Japanese-English dictionary — only to discover that no one in San Francisco could tell him who was President of the United States (it was reportedly James Buchanan). His observation about Americans' indifference to political figures impressed him as evidence of democratic society's healthy distance from governmental authority.