Ebisugahana Shipyard

Following the arrival of Commodore Perry’s Black Ships in 1853, the Edo shogunate called on various domains to build large ships to strengthen military and coastal defenses. In response, the Hagi Domain established the Ebisugahana Shipyard in 1856, where two warships were constructed.

The Heishin-maru, launched in 1856, incorporated Russian shipbuilding techniques, while the Koshin-maru, launched in 1860, employed Dutch methods. Notably, this shipyard is the only site from the late Edo period known to have used both Russian and Dutch technologies for shipbuilding.
Today, the original stone breakwater remains intact, making it the only shipyard from that era where physical remnants still exist. This historical significance led to its inclusion in 2015 as part of the “Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining,” a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage designation. It forms part of the Hagi Industrial Heritage Group, alongside sites like Hagi Castle Town and Shokasonjuku Academy.

Nearby, the ruins of what are believed to be a forge and residences for shipwrights have been discovered, offering visitors a tangible sense of the era just before Japan’s opening to the world. The Hagi Reverberatory Furnace, another of Hagi’s key industrial heritage sites, is also within walking distance.