24 subs found off the Nagasaki coast

[Taro Toporific]

Remains of 24 Imperial navy subs found off Nagasaki
Tuesday, June 15, 2004 at 11:49 JST / japantoday > national After being scuttled more than 58 years ago, a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy's 24 submarines-- the largest collection ever -- were discovered in April off the coast of Nagasaki...

[Charles]

Hey, that reminds me.. For years, I've wanted to see a full-sized Japanese submarine from WWII. I've seen the German U505 in Chicago, the USS Pampanito in San Francisco, but I've been totally unable to locate any equivalent Japanese sub. I figure I should make it a complete set. I know there's a captured mini-sub at Pearl Harbor, I went to Yasukuni, there's a one-man suicide torpedo which is almost a submarine. But I want to go inside a regular submarine and take a tour, like you can with the U505 and the Pampanito.
The US occupation forces obviously scuttled the Japanese submarines (like the ones they found in the article cited on FG here), but I can't believe there isn't a single one preserved somewhere.

So.. does anyone know if there is even a single Japanese submarine that still exists, and you can go inside on a tour? I could probably even provide credentials as an academic researcher if tours were limited.

[Taro Toporific]

So.. does anyone know if there is even a single Japanese submarine that still exists, and you can go inside on a tour? I could probably even provide credentials as an academic researcher if tours were limited.

Okinawa and Guam both have them. Send email to the FG member, "GrooveWonder," who writes for the Okinawa press: .groovewonder

Pearl Harbor has Japanese mini-subs
http://www.taskforce1.org/bowfin2.htm

As does Nautilus Museum, Groton, CT
http://www.personal.dvint.com/events/2003-9-NY/2003-9-NY.html
http://www.personal.dvint.com/events/2003-9-NY/thumb/Panorama1_cropped_12.jpg

Nimitz Museum in Fredericksburg has a 2-man
http://www.texasescapes.com/WorldWarII/JapaneseSubmarineBigSpringTx/JapaneseSub.htm
http://www.texasescapes.com/WorldWarII/JapaneseSubmarineBigSpringTx/JapaneseSub1944s.jpg

[Charles]

Thanks for the tips. I sent a message groovewonder. Maybe, with luck, there's a full size sub on Guam or Okinawa, not just the little minisubs.

[groovewonder]

I'll look into this on Okinawa, but I haven't an idea if they exist out here. I've never heard of any on Okinawa, but I'll see if my boss knows.