Showa Station Opening Day

What Is Showa Station Opening Day?

Every January 29th is also "Showa Station Opening Day" (昭和基地開設記念日, Shōwa Kichi Kaisetsu Kinenbi) in Japan. On January 29, 1957, members of Japan's first Antarctic expedition team landed on East Ongul Island (東オングル島) in Antarctica and established Japan's Antarctic research base — "Showa Station" (昭和基地, Shōwa Kichi). This landing marked Japan's entry into Antarctic science and established a permanent Japanese presence on the ice that has continued uninterrupted (with the famous exception of 1958-1959, when the base was temporarily unmanned — the period when Taro and Jiro survived alone) ever since.

Japan's First Antarctic Expedition

Japan's first Antarctic Research Expedition (第1次南極地域観測隊) was organized as Japan's contribution to the International Geophysical Year (IGY, 1957-1958) — a coordinated international scientific effort involving 67 nations. The Japanese expedition departed Yokohama in November 1956 aboard the icebreaker Sōya (宗谷) and reached Antarctica in January 1957. The establishment of Showa Station — named after Japan's Showa imperial era — gave Japan a permanent scientific foothold on the continent.

Showa Station Today

Showa Station has operated continuously (except the 1958-59 unmanned period) for over 65 years, supporting Japanese scientific research in glaciology, meteorology, aurora observation, geology, and atmospheric science. The station is staffed year-round by teams of approximately 30 scientists and support personnel, rotating annually. Its facilities have been progressively upgraded and now include living quarters, laboratories, a meteorological observatory, and a greenhouse for growing vegetables in Antarctica's extreme conditions.

Japan's Antarctic Science

Japan has made significant contributions to Antarctic science, including core ice drilling research that has provided climate records stretching back hundreds of thousands of years, meteorite collection (Japan has found some of the world's largest collections of Antarctic meteorites), aurora observation, and cosmic ray research. The Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE) continues to recruit scientists and support staff for annual rotations.

Fun Facts

• The icebreaker Sōya: The original icebreaker Sōya that carried Japan's first expedition is preserved as a museum ship at the Tokyo Metropolitan Science Museum (科学技術館) — visitors can board the historic vessel that opened Japan's Antarctic chapter.
• Antarctic meteorites: Japan has collected over 17,000 meteorites in Antarctica — the world's largest national collection — because the ice sheet concentrates meteorites that have fallen over thousands of years, making Antarctica the world's best meteorite hunting ground.