# What happened to all the "- Marus"?



## Steve Hodges (Feb 12, 2007)

When I was a young and spotty shipspotter back in the 60s/70s, just about all Japanese owned and flagged ships were named with the suffix "Maru", whether cargo ships, tankers, containers, whatever. Nowadays as I browse through the SN Gallery, I come across almost none. What happened? Did the Japanese abandon the practice, and if so, why? Or is it just that the Japanese-flagged merchant fleet has virtually vanished? And what did "Maru" actually mean?
Enlightenment, please.....


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## Cisco (Jan 29, 2007)

I think Maru Line went broke 

They were still using it on early box boats such as 'Southern Cross Maru' but I think the marketing people had it put down. Probably about the same time as they started putting windows on their ships rather than only portholes.... maybe about 1980ish. Another tradition bites the dust.

I think their fleet has also been largely flagged out... more on the meaning here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_ship-naming_conventions I had heard the 'castle' one when I was a pup.


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## A.D.FROST (Sep 1, 2008)

I think it was corporate decision in order to distinguish their vessels from other Japanese own/operated containerships etc.(eg.'K' Line use suffix BRIDGE)


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## Erimus (Feb 20, 2012)

I remember in 1958/59 the Okashima Maru came to Dents Wharf Middlesbrough. This was first Japanese vessel since the conflict and created great interest,especially with the ladies......when she sailed ladies scattered apart from one who had a shore crane hook put into her duffle coat hood......all was well till she waved and fell into the Tees,very dirty then. 8 crew dived over to save her, perhaps in gratitude??

Maru meant castle...

geoff


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

Geoff, wonder if the crew were calling out: "Arigato Scotch Maru".
(That's a Robin Hood joke).

I asked a Japanese bloke what Maru meant and he told me it meant "round" and, when applied to a ship, it indicated "all over the world" or "universal". Mind you, his English, although a zillion times better than my Japanese, was crap and he was struggling.

John T


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## Ian6 (Feb 1, 2006)

I suspect that it wasn't a particular Japanese shipping line but more generally used. When P&O's prewar-built liner 'Corfu' was sold to Japanese shipbreakers she sailed from London to Japan under the rising sun as 'Corfu Maru'.

It is claimed, although I've seen no photograph so it may just be a good line, that someone in KGV added a 'K' in the middle of the name that was hastily painted out.

Ian


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## tunatownshipwreck (Nov 9, 2005)

trotterdotpom said:


> Geoff, wonder if the crew were calling out: "Arigato Scotch Maru".
> (That's a Robin Hood joke).
> 
> I asked a Japanese bloke what Maru meant and he told me it meant "round" and, when applied to a ship, it indicated "all over the world" or "universal". Mind you, his English, although a zillion times better than my Japanese, was crap and he was struggling.
> ...


That's what they've told me, too, it means that the ship would make a "round voyage, that is, to "come home".


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## Blackal (Jan 29, 2008)

I thought it was a general thing on all Japanese ships. Perhaps there are very few internationally-trading Japanese flagged ships nowadays?

Al


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## Pat Kennedy (Apr 14, 2007)

NYK Line, (Nippon Yusen Kaisha) were ubiquitous all over the world when I was at sea, and every one of them had the_ Maru_ suffix.
I was always under the impression the word _Maru_ simply meant _ship_.
NYK is still a major player in the shipowning business, but many of its vessels no longer have the _Maru_ suffix.
Pat


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## Erimus (Feb 20, 2012)

I was shown a drawing of an old Japanese ship which had a small castle on the bow (a forecastle) and told that the Maru was the castle. 
Nowt to do with the Robin Hood Mr Trotter. 

geoff


But dictionary says perfection or circle.


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## John Callon (Dec 20, 2008)

Pat Kennedy said:


> NYK Line, (Nippon Yusen Kaisha) were ubiquitous all over the world when I was at sea, and every one of them had the_ Maru_ suffix.
> I was always under the impression the word _Maru_ simply meant _ship_.
> NYK is still a major player in the shipowning business, but many of its vessels no longer have the _Maru_ suffix.
> Pat


Have to agree with you Pat. I was on one of Bibbys - the Derbyshire (not the bulk carrier) and we were on charter to Mitsui OSK lines whose ships all had the Maru suffix which I was lead to believe meant ship. 
Regards
John


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## tunatownshipwreck (Nov 9, 2005)

I think it was Japan Line that started to dispense with the "Maru" scheme in the 1960s, with "Japan Azalea", "Japan Juniper" and the like, then the other companies jumped in.


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## Jacko123 (Apr 28, 2009)

From Wikipedia
Hakudo Maru is the name of a celestial being in Japanese mythology who is said to have come to Earth 5000 years ago and taught humans how to build ships.

The Japanese still attach the suffix -maru to ship names to gain the protection of, and show gratitude to, Hakudo Maru.


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## Cisco (Jan 29, 2007)

Ian6 said:


> I suspect that it wasn't a particular Japanese shipping line but more generally used.
> 
> Ian


Um... the Maru Line thing was a joke..... a very old joke....as in deck boy saying 'that Maru Line must be a big outfit'.....  
I think anything and everything that floated that wasn't naval was a maru


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## tunatownshipwreck (Nov 9, 2005)

I remember a Marusumi Maru. Maybe there was a Marusumo Maru. Quite the bulk carrier.


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## Mjroots (Mar 10, 2009)

Quite a few of them were sunk in WWII by the Royal Navy and US Navy. (Thumb)


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## Pat Kennedy (Apr 14, 2007)

There was one particular NYK vessel whose name I forget which used to discharge in Birkenhead, at Mortar Mill Quay by the four bridges, every three months or so.
This ship carried only tinned salmon, and worked in conjunction with a Japanese factory ship which accompanied the Japanese salmon fishing fleet which operated in the North Pacific off Alaska.
The cases of tinned salmon were transferred at sea from the factory ship to the freighter, handled by gangs of cargo handlers who lived and worked from the factory ship for several months of the year. It apparently took five days working round the clock to load the ship, weather conditions permitting.
The freighter then sailed to its destination, discharged the cargo and head back for more, in ballast.
When the 'Salmon Maru' was in port, Birkenhead was awash with tinned salmon, it was on sale in every pub for miles around.
Pat(Eat)


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## A.D.FROST (Sep 1, 2008)

Reardon Smith had two ships chartered to a Japanese company but had the MARU dropped from their names as a request from the company because one of the directors was imprisoned during the war.AUSTRALIAN CITY(WILKAWA) and EASTERN CITY(CHIYODA)


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## Frank P (Mar 13, 2005)

I was told that the name Maru was something like a "good luck" charm and it was meant to bring the ship good fortune.

Cheers Frank


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