Kanrin Maru

• Japanese: 咸臨丸 (kanrin maru)

The Kanrin Maru was the first ship to cross the Pacific Ocean with a Japanese pilot, doing so in the early months of 1860, as part of the first Japanese embassy to the United States.

The ship was a 292-ton, screw-driven corvette of Dutch construction. It set out from Yokohama along with the USS Powhatan, carrying the 170 members of the embassy, on 1860/1/19 (Feb 10), bound for San Francisco. Captained by Katsu Kaishû and commanded by Navy Minister Kimura Kaishû, its crew of 96 Japanese was joined by a number of American sailors and one American officer, since no Japanese crew had ever made such a long journey.

The Kanrin Maru was damaged in a storm during the voyage, and returned directly to Japan after receiving repairs in San Francisco.

References

• Gallery labels and pamphlet from exhibition "Samurai in New York." Museum of the City of New York. 25 June - 7 Nov. 2010.