JMSDF Kure Museum (Iron Whale Museum)
海上自衛隊呉史料館（てつのくじら館）
A decommissioned submarine, the Akishio, stands on land outside the museum, and visitors can walk inside it. Admission is free.
The Iron Whale Museum is a public-relations exhibition run by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. Its most striking feature is the decommissioned submarine Akishio (76 m long), raised on land, which visitors can enter to see the captain's cabin, the control room and the cramped crew bunks. The museum also covers the history of postwar minesweeping operations and daily life aboard submarines. Admission is free, and it is closed on Tuesdays. It faces the Yamato Museum across the road, about a 5-minute walk from JR Kure Station. Allow about half a day to visit both museums.
Opening hours
09:00–17:00 (closed Tue)
Nearby sights
- Yamato Museum
- Mazda Museum
- MAZDA Zoom-Zoom Stadium Hiroshima
- Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art
- Okonomimura
- World Peace Memorial Cathedral
- Hondori Shopping Street
- Shukkei-en Garden