Kure, Hiroshima

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Lore & Background

The area of Kure is part of ancient Aki Province, and the port of Kure was an important seaport for Hiroshima Domain in the Edo period. The Kure Naval District was first established in 1889, leading to the construction of the Kure Naval Arsenal and the rapid growth of steel production and shipbuilding in the city. Kure was formally incorporated on October 1, 1902. From 1889 until the end of the Pacific War, the city served as the headquarters of the Kure Naval District. Kure dockyards recorded a number of significant engineering firsts including the launching of the first major domestically built capital ship, the battlecruiser Tsukuba (1905) and the launching of the largest battleship ever built, the Yamato (1940). During the Pacific War, Kure acted as the Imperial Japanese Navy's single-largest naval base and arsenal. Most of the city's industry and workforce were employed in the service of the naval installations, munitions factories and associated support functions. In the later stages of the conflict Kure came under sustained aerial bombardment culminating in the bombing of Kure in June and July 1945. From February 1946 until the end of Japan's postwar occupation in 1952, military establishments in Kure served as the operational headquarters for the British Commonwealth Occupation Force. Since 2005, Kure has attracted attention as a tourism center with the Yamato Museum hosting a 1:10 scale model of the Yamato alongside a waterfront JMSDF museum of Japanese naval history.

Reader's Guide

Kure's significance lies in its role as a major naval and industrial center, particularly during the Imperial Japanese Navy era. The city's dockyards produced the first major domestically built capital ship, the battlecruiser Tsukuba (1905), and the largest battleship ever built, the Yamato (1940). After the war, from February 1946 until 1952, military establishments in Kure served as the operational headquarters for the British Commonwealth Occupation Force. Today, it continues as a major maritime center hosting both the dockyards of Japan Marine United and numerous shore-based facilities of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, including training centers and a major hospital. The city serves as the home port of an Escort Flotilla (Destroyers), a Submarine Flotilla and the Training Squadron of the JMSDF Regional Kure District. Kure has also become a tourism center since 2005, with the Yamato Museum hosting a 1:10 scale model of the Yamato alongside a waterfront JMSDF museum of Japanese naval history. The city's population has been declining for the past 40 years.

Did You Know?

• Kure dockyards launched the largest battleship ever built, the Yamato, in 1940.
• The Kure Naval District was first established in 1889.
• From February 1946 until 1952, military establishments in Kure served as the operational headquarters for the British Commonwealth Occupation Force.
• Kure hosts the second-oldest naval dockyard in Japan.
• The Yamato Museum in Kure features a 1:10 scale model of the battleship Yamato.