Seikan Train Ferry and Moving Rail Bridge

The Seikan Train Ferry was in service for 720,000 navigations over 80 years until the opening of the Seikan Tunnel in March 1988. Since the service started in 1908, 160 million passengers and 250 million tons of freight were transported. It began transportation of vehicles in 1925. The moving rail bridges were built at Aomori and Hakodate ports and part of the facilities at the time remains today. In addition, the final ship serving the ‘Hakkoda-Maru’ route is preserved on the Aomori side and the ‘Mashu-Maru’ on the Hakodate side. The journey logbooks, photos showing the transition of shipbuilding, design drawings, etc. are also preserved. All such materials can be said to be monuments to engineers who served to stabilize and streamline transportation.