SHIRASE (5002) icebreaker/research vessel

[aukepalmhof]

Built as an icebreaker/research vessel by Nippon Kokan, Tsurami, Japan for the Japanese Government.
05 March 1981 keel laid down.
11 December 1981 launched under the name SHIRASE (GAP 5002), named after the SHIRASE glacier in the Antarctic, but most probably she honored Lt. Nobu Shirase (1861-1946) who commanded the first Japanese Antarctic Expedition 1910-1912. The expedition was also known as the "Dash Patrol" and was an attempt to beat Amundsen and Scott to the South Pole.
Displacement 11.660 ton standard, 18.900 tons full, dim. 134.0 x 28.0 x 14.50m. length bpp 124.0 m., draught maximum 9.75m.
Powered: diesel-electric by 6 MAN diesel, 30.000 shp, three screws, speed 19 knots, cruising speed 15 knots.
Range by a speed of 15 knots, 25.000 miles.
Cargo capacity 1.000 tons.
Accommodation for 174 crew and 60 scientists.
Can break ice with a thickness of 1.5 meters by a speed of three-mile.
Carried three helicopters.
12 December 1983 commissioned.

She was built to replace the FUJI.
14 November 1984 sailed for her maiden voyage under command of Capt. Mamoru Sato to the Antarctic to re-supply the Japanese bases there.
11 November 2007 she sailed from Tokyo for her final voyage to the Antarctic, after her return to Japan she will go into retirement and be replaced by a new vessel.
During her time she will have transported over 4000 people to the Antarctic.

Since November 1983, she served in 25 Antarctic expeditions. She was able to move at 3 knots breaking 1.5 meters of ice.
The MSDF's Antarctic support vessel, the ice breaker SHIRASE, completed its 49th and last Antarctic voyage at Harumi passenger terminal in Tokyo on Saturday 12 April 2008, completing 25 years of service.

In 2008, the government began to invite the public contributions of plans to utilize this ship after the scheduled retirement. As to the first invitation, however, none of the plans was adopted mainly due to prime cost and problems on securing safety. In October 2008, after the retirement, the government once decided to scrap this ship.
Nevertheless, there were requests for preserving SHIRASE sent to the authority, even from ordinary people who were not engaged in the Antarctic project. And, the mean price of iron scrap was declining since the summer of 2008. In 2009, the government again accepted public applications from 17 July to 11 September. Four parties submitted plans, and a plan by a weather information company Weathernews Inc. was adopted by 9 November 2009.

On its website, Weathernews says it hopes to rename it as "SHIRASE" (not in hiragana but in Latin alphabet capitals) and to utilize it as a facility for monitoring the polar circles, for observing weather around Tokyo, and for exhibitions, discussions, and experiences on climate changes and global environment. On 10 February 2010, the ship was handed over to Weathernews.
Weathernews officially took over the vessel on 11 February 2010.
Naming

In Japanese, the name SHIRASE is written in hiragana. This name was adopted from about 62,000 entries from the public. Officially, this name is said to have been taken from Shirase Glacier. (Due to a JMSDF internal naming rule, an icebreaker was to take a name from a place.) This glacier bears the family name, which is written in kanji, of Lieutenant Nobu Shirase, a Japanese pioneer of Antarctic exploration.

2022 She is now moored as a museum ship alongside Keiyo Sea berth Takase-cho, Funabashi city, Chiba, open for the public, under the name SHIRASE.

Japan 1983 60y sg1721, Scott?, 2007 80y sg3524 Scott?
Sierra Leone 2019 Le50,000 sg?, scott? (in the margin is the Finnish icebreaker LOUHI depict.)

Source: some websites and Watercraft Philately Vol 53 No 6 page 82.