Yamato Museum in Japan: World's Biggest Battleship Ever Built in 1937

Oct. 7, 2009 by Matt van Vuuren

The Yamato was the biggest battleship ever built and was built by Japan in 1937 during the Second World War. It had the biggest guns ever fitted on a battleship and had a range of 25 miles. Yamato was hit by at least 11 torpedoes and 6 bombs and met its fate near Kyushu.

Tips & Advice

What: Yamato Museum
Why: Educational experience on world's biggest battleship!
Where: 5-20 Takaramachi, Kure [Map]
Hours: 9:00am - 5:00pm
Price: ¥500 Yen ($3.50 USD) per person
Travel Itinerary: 7-day Tokyo Itinerary for an amazing Tokyo trip!
Related: Ninja & Samurai Park, for an ancient Japanese experience
Book Now: Toshogu Shrine Tour, just $108 USD

The yamato was the biggest battleship ever built. It was built by the empire of japan in 1941. I only came to know recently about his fact and became quite curious to its development, structure and all mystery surrounding this magnificent vessel.

During my stay in Hiroshima I found some time to make a visit to the Yamato museum in Kure City which is about a 40 minute trainride from Hiroshima. Upon arrival I noticed a lot of senior people probably some war veterans as well but I was glad that everybody was polite and respectful.

Yamato Museum

There was a scale model present which is a 1/10 scale. It is amazing to how many gun turrets and anti aircraft guns it houses. It is remarkable that the united states was able to sink it of the coast of kyushu the most western Japanese island by an air attack.

It seems impenetrable to me. I got provided with an english audio tour which was pretty cool. Although I didn't notice any other foreigners at the museum.

Specs of the Yamato: Yamato's main battery consisted of nine 18.1-inch 40 cm/45 Type 94 naval guns—the largest caliber of naval artillery ever fitted to a warship. Each gun was 21.13 metres (69.3 ft) long, weighed 147.3 metric tons (162.4 short tons), and was capable of firing high-explosive or armour-piercing shells 42.0 kilometres (26.1 mi).

Her secondary battery comprised twelve 6.1-inch (15 cm) guns mounted in four triple turrets (one forward, one aft, two midships) and twelve 5-inch (13 cm) guns in six double-turrets (three on each side amidships). In addition, Yamato carried twenty-four 1-inch (2.5 cm) anti-aircraft guns, primarily mounted amidships. When refitted in 1944, the secondary battery configuration was changed to six 6.1-inch (15 cm) guns, twenty-four 5-inch (13 cm) guns and one hundred sixty-two 1-inch (2.5 cm) antiaircraft guns, in preparation for naval engagements in the South Pacific