Mietsu Naval Dock Site

Constructed in 1858 during the late Edo Period in Saga Prefecture near the Ariake Sea, the Mietsu Naval Dock (ŽO�d’ÊCŒR�Š�Õ, Mietsu Kaigunjo-ato) is considered the oldest dry dock for shipbuilding in Japan. It also contained a naval academy. Although not much of the dock can be seen today, the site received world heritage status as one of the Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution in summer 2015.

The dock was excavated in 2009, exposing a metal furnace and complicated timberwork. The ruins were reburied for their protection after the survey; and as a result, visitors cannot see any structures of the dock except for some markers and information boards. Instead, visitors can take a free, self-guided virtual reality tour of the facilities, using virtual reality goggles available from the adjacent Sano Tsunetami Memorial Museum. The interesting tour with audio explanations in English allows visitors to visualize the naval dock as it stood one and a half centuries ago.

The above mentioned Sano Tsunetami Memorial Museum is primarily dedicated to the founder of the Japanese Red Cross society, locally born Sano Tsunetami. But these days, the museum also provides visitors with additional information about the naval dock, including the virtual reality goggles mentioned earlier. Inside the museum, visitors can also take an Oculus Rift virtual reality ride for yet another way of experiencing the former naval dock.