Walk around the North Korean spy boat the Coast Guard raised off the seabed
The actual hull, bullet holes and all
The Japan Coast Guard's museum beside Akarenga Park holds the actual vessel recovered from the seabed after the 22 December 2001 incident in the East China Sea, together with more than ninety items brought up with it.
Why it's unique
This is the boat itself, not a model or a photograph. It was raised from the seabed after a firefight with the Coast Guard and brought here, and it is the only place anywhere that the hull can be seen.
It was disguised as a Chinese fishing vessel, and the giveaway is still plain: four engines where a fishing boat would have one or two. The hull carries bullet strikes and a blown-out hole where the crew set off scuttling charges; all ten aboard died. Inside was a hidden compartment holding a smaller high-speed boat and water scooters, believed to be for putting agents ashore.
Before you go
Almost everyone budgets far too little time. Allow one to two hours: the recovered weapons are displayed as objects rather than photographs, and there is more to read than the size of the room suggests.
Count the engines from the walkway first, then look for the blast hole and the bullet strikes on the hull. Audio guides are available in five languages. Entry is free and needs no booking.