A mobile crane, left, removes the bridge connecting the Sant Juan Bautista vessel to the dock in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, on Nov. 10, 2021. (Mainichi/Nobuyuki Hyakutake)

       ISHINOMAKI, Miyagi -- The Miyagi Prefectural Government in northeast Japan has begun demolishing a life-size wooden replica of a historic sailboat at a museum in this city in spite of local opposition.

       The replica of the Sant Juan Bautista was a much-loved display for years at the Miyagi Sant Juan Bautista Museum, which features exhibits on the Japanese Keicho Embassy sent to Europe in the 17th century.

       On the afternoon of Nov. 10, a large mobile crane removed the bridge connecting the vessel to the dock. Voices of protest, including, "Stop tearing it apart," and "It's a waste," were heard from a platform overlooking the ship.

       The prefectural government intends to remove the masts and other parts of the boat at a later date, with the hull's dismantling set to start mid-January 2022.

       The ship transported the Keicho delegation, including samurai Hasekura Tsunenaga, under the orders of local feudal baron Date Masamune. It embarked from Ishinomaki to travel across the Pacific Ocean for Europe. The replica was completed in 1933 using donations from prefectural residents and others.

       But the ship was worn down by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, as well as later flood damage and other factors. The prefectural government gave up on repairing it in 2017, and decided in 2019 to make another ship one quarter of the original size using reinforced plastic.

       After removing the masts and other parts of the vessel for preservation, the prefectural government plans to demolish the hull from January through March 2022. It apparently aims to renew the museum for reopening in fiscal 2024 after renovating the dock and observation facilities while manufacturing the succeeding boat from next April.

       Organizations including Ishinomaki-based citizens group "World Network to Save The San Juan Bautista" filed a lawsuit against the prefecture in June demanding it cease disbursing costs to demolish the ship. It remains in dispute.

       Plaintiff Mariko Toko, 36, a member of the citizens' group secretariat, criticized the Miyagi government: "We're angry because the prefectural government refused to accept the petition signed by more than 12,000 people against the demolition and continues the work like it's ignoring the trial."

       (Japanese original by Nobuyuki Hyakutake, Ishinomaki Local Bureau)

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