Building the SOYA 宗谷 Ice Breaker Ship

Sōya (宗谷) was originally commissioned as a cargo ship by the Soviets in 1936 and launched on 16th February 1938 as payment to the Japanese government for the construction of the South Manchuria Railway. During the second world war, she was assigned by the Imperial Japanese Navy as an ammunition supply ship, and thereafter, as a mine sweeper, where she would have many close calls from enemy torpedoes and aircraft during her call of duty. After the war, Sōya was decommissioned from the Navy and assumed her new role as an evacuation ship repatriating countless citizens from Japan’s former colonies. In 1949, she was assigned to Japan’s Maritime Safety Agency as a supply ship for remote lighthouses, earning her the nickname of ’Santa Claus of the Sea’. In 1950, she was refitted to prepare for service as Japan’s first dedicated Antarctic research ship. Modifications included replacing her steam engines and installation of a helicopter deck.