The Hokkaido town of Kikonai is promoting tourism by touting its relationship with the warship Kanrin Maru, which plied the Pacific to North America in 1860 but sank nearby about a decade later.
Residents in the town, which is on the southern tip of Hokkaido, formed a group in 2004 to raise awareness about the historical ship, which remains on the seabed of the Tsugaru Strait, and to revitalize the local economy.
"The Kanrin Maru did a great job, having traversed the Pacific Ocean, but ended up sinking as an unknown transport ship," said Kenjun Tada, 63, who heads the group.