Museum News
Jan 27/08
Chart Attack!

Jan 01/08
Spirit of Canada Ocean Challenge - February 5
Empress of Japan



Ship Name: Empress of Japan

Vital Statistics:
Length: 148 m (485’) Beam: 15.5 m (51’) Draft: 7.5 m (24’ 6”) Tonnage: 8600 t
Hull: steel
Power source: 10,000 HP; coal.
Equipped with both a steam engine and full masts and rigging
Built: Naval Construction & Armaments Co., Barrow, England, 1891

Empress of Japan was built in 1891 for the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). The ship was used on the Vancouver - Japan - Hong Kong mail service and also carried passengers, and cargo including silk and tea. During World War I the ship was fitted out as an Armed Auxiliary Cruiser. With the war over it returned to company service in 1916, and made its 315th and final Pacific crossing in 1922 arriving in Vancouver. Empress of Japan was scrapped in 1928 at North Vancouver.

Why was the Empress of Japan significant?
  • Made a record breaking voyage (10 days, 3 hours and 39 minutes) from Vancouver to Hong Kong - June 1897
  • Crossed the Pacific 315 times
  • Held the speed record for 22 years and travelled an average a speed of 17 knots
  • Many Asian immigrants came to Canada on board Empress of Japan or one of her two sister ships, Empress of China and Empress of India


What is the Canadian Pacific Railway Company (CPR)?
The CPR established a global travel network that linked Britain and Europe with the rest of the world. With the railway complete, passengers and cargo were shipped from Europe, across the Atlantic Ocean to Halifax, onto trains to cross Canada and then onto Asia on board the Pacific Ocean liners such as Empress of Japan. Passengers and Asian trade goods (silk and tea) were transported back to Canada and then on to Europe. The CPR also built luxury hotels and resorts to accommodate and attract travellers.

Where did Empress of Japan travel?
The ship was built to meet the specifications of the Royal Mail contract awarded to the CPR. Mail was carried west across Canada on CP trains to Vancouver and then loaded onto the ship. The ship’s route was between Vancouver and Hong Kong, with stops in Victoria, Yokohama, Kobe, Nagasaki, and Shanghai. The ship also carried passengers to and from Asia. There was accommodation for up to 900 passengers – 160 in first class, 40 in second class and 700 in steerage, mainly Asian immigrants. Empress of Japan set its speed record crossing the Pacific after its departure was delayed because the train coming into Vancouver was late. To ensure the mail was delivered to Hong Kong on time the ship averaged a speed of 17 knots and completed its trip in ten days, three hours and 39 minutes. The record held for 22 years.

What did Empress of Japan do during World War I?
The ship along with her crew was called into active duty in Hong Kong. Fitted with eight guns and her holds filled with ammunition, Empress of Japan patrolled the western Pacific and Red Sea.

Why was Empress of Japan scrapped?
The ship was eventually replaced by a more efficient and faster ship, Empress of Japan II and was scrapped in North Vancouver. Parts of the ship can still be seen today. The ship’s figurehead was originally displayed in Stanley Park (1927) but eventually moved to the Vancouver Maritime Museum where it was restored and put on display in the Claridge Gallery. A replica of the figurehead can still be seen in Stanley Park. The ship’s bell is also on display at the Museum.

For more information:
Turner, Robert D. The Pacific Empresses. Sono Nis Press. Victoria, 1981.
The Chung Collection: http://www.library.ubc.ca/chung/cp_story/cp_story1.html

Click here to go back to Fact Sheets page

To book your class call 604 257-8300
Tuesday - Saturday, 10 am - 4:30 pm

For the safety and comfort of all participants, please note that class sizes must be adhered to. Elementary class maximum 30 students; preschool class maximum 20 students; all programs minimum 10 students.

Bring history alive in your classroom with Heritage Fairs.
For more information call 604 257-8304.

Did you know?
That Captain George Vancouver was an experienced, sailor, explorer, navigator and cartographer who mapped the coastline of British Columbia in 1792. In several voyages between 1791 and 1795, Captain Vancouver charted for the first time the rugged coastline of what is today Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. So thorough were his charts, that mariners used them for well over a hundred years. One of the world’s great mariners, George Vancouver was born in King’s Lynn, UK on June 22, 1757. Although the British Navy Captain’s life ended in obscurity when he died in 1798, the city that bears his name will recognize his remarkable achievements.
About the Vancouver Maritime Museum