The Shirase expedition caused the Japanese to make territorial claims on Russia. Copyright 20102023, The Conversation US, Inc. [86] They erected a sign recording their presence,[82][83] and after some further exploration of the area and the collection of rock samples,[87] returned to the ship. [75] Weather conditions were now much more favourable, and they covered the distance in three days, possibly the fastest polar sledge journey at that time. Perhaps most significantly, an exercise designed to showcase Commonwealth unity ended up demonstrating the opposite. [37] After enduring another very rough passage, the ship reached the Australian port on 1 May. [89] On the way back to the Bay of Whales they paused at a small bay which they named Okuma Bay in honour of the expedition's patron. Led by Edmund Hillary, an international celebrity since his 1953 ascent of Mt Everest, this party would lay depots of food and fuel to support the second part of Fuchs journey, from the South Pole to the Ross Sea. At the time, the United Kingdoms claims in Antarctica were under increasing threat from Argentina and Chile. This project was a part of the International Geophysical Year (IGY), and Japanese Syowa Station was established on Ongul Island in Antarctica in 1957. . Lure of the ice: a view across the Ross Ice Shelf. Between 1992 and 2015, an image of a modified Massey Ferguson tractor graced the New Zealand $5 note, commemorating the achievement. But as a historian of Antarctic science, I believe the expedition tells us about more than just Kiwi ingenuity and attitude. [11], The government's response was lukewarm;[8] it agreed a financial contribution and the possible loan of a ship, but in the event, parliament would not release the funds. It was concurrent with two major Antarctic endeavours led respectively by Roald Amundsen and Robert Falcon Scott, and has been relatively overlooked in polar history. Shirase was received by the imperial family, and widely feted. [32][41] Meanwhile, Kainan Maru was taken to the Jubilee Dock, to await repairs and refitting. The team was expected to be replaced in February 1958, but the ship Soya, carrying their replacement crew, became iced in and called for help from Burton Island, an American icebreaker. The dogs' survival was a national news story at the time. [8], Leaving Wellington on 11 February, Kainan Maru soon ran into stormy seas, with waves among the biggest that Captain Namora had ever encountered. [14], Among the personnel selected were two Ainu people from the far northern Japanese islands, chosen for their skills with dogs and sledges. Jiro remained in Antarctica and died there as a working dog in 1960; Taro was brought to Japan, where he died in 1970. Taro was relocated to Sapporo and lived the remainder of his life at Hokkaido University. [44] Nevertheless, life during the long winter months was generally frugal and monotonous,[43] "almost a beggar's life", Shirase later wrote. . As part of the International Geophysical Year (IGY), 1956-1958 Japan instigated a programme of Antarctic research. One party would land at the Bay of Whales and form a "Dash Patrol" that would make a southern march across the Barrier, with the dogs. They also describe thick Gel like air, Strange beings, portals to other worlds etc. Antarctica history is rich in adventure and science, yet human activity in the region extends back in time only about 200 years. While Fuchs soon won the support of many in the Commonwealth polar and scientific communities, some derided what appeared to be a geopolitical exercise using the supposedly apolitical, science-focused IGY. And it helped cement New Zealands independent relationship with Antarctica, specifically the Ross Dependency and Scott Base, as quite separate from its ties to Britain. We travelled in some bad weather but on only two of our 99 days was the weather so bad that we could not travel at all. he said. He and his nine companions of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition reached Scott Base at 1.47 pm (11.47 am Sydney time) - 99 days after setting out from Shackleton. Mss-212, Box: 1, Folder: 11 (Mixed Materials) Watanuki Junko was 41 years old when, after three applications, she was finally selected to join the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (December 2015 to March 2017). The expedition was now characterised as a race to the Pole by two national parties headed by the adventurer Hillary and the scientist Fuchs. [58], On 16 January, at 7817'S, 16150'W, Kainan Maru came upon a small inlet in the Barrier edge, which appeared to offer a suitable landing place. The 1958 ill-fated Japanese expedition to Antarctica inspired the 1983 hit film Nankyoku Monogatari. They reached 15120'W,[88] thus exceeding Scott's mark by a distance calculated as 17.3km (11 miles). The Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (, Nankyoku chiiki kansoku-tai, JARE) refers to a series of Japanese Antarctic expeditions for scientific research. In the 1958 event, 15 Sakhalin Husky sled dogs were abandoned In 1958, a Japanese expedition to Antarctica led by meteorologist Kenjiro Ochi (Tsunehiko Watase) and doctor Akira Ushioda (Ken Takakura) leave their exploration base, abandoning their loyal team . What many of you do not know is that as part of my trip I had to spend a homestay weekend with a Japanese family. Read more: One was from the Queen. [91], While often treated as a footnote to the concurrent expeditions of Amundsen and Scott,[72][94] the Japanese party achieved several notable distinctions. [8] Dogs would be the prime mode of transport in the Antarctic; Shirase's initial preference for Manchurian ponies was impractical, since the expedition's ship, acquired with the assistance of Okuna, was too small to carry horses. They had carried out seismic soundings right across the continent. The expedition would reprovision in Wellington, New Zealand before proceeding to Antarctica, where they would set up winter quarters. [13] Still the scientific community remained aloof, and the journal of the Tokyo Geographical Society, while reporting on other countries' expeditions, ignored the Japanese venture entirely. Cruise date: 4 Mar - 14 Mar, 2023. 1958, Page 35 Buy Reprints. 11 men with 15 sled-dogs (Sakhalin Husky) Hillarys expedition, intended to be largely privately funded, initially lacked widespread support from New Zealanders, many of whom believed their government should cover the entire cost. In the 1958 event, fifteen Sakhalin Husky sled dogs were abandoned when the expedition team was unable to return to the base. It was an expedition that at the time was considered to be one of the greatest achievements of the 20th . [31][32] To their further discomfort, their proximity to the South Magnetic Pole was causing violent disturbances to the compass needle. [95], On its return, the expedition was given a hero's parade through Tokyo. [94] In 1981 Shirase's hometown, Nikaho, erected a statue in his memory, and in 1990 opened a museum dedicated to his expedition. [74] Resuming on 22January, over the next few days they battled on against strong winds and blizzards, while the temperature fell to 25C (13F). [76] Arriving at their base camp on 31January, they recovered from their exertions by sleeping for 36hours. Two Sakhalin Husky dogs, Taro and Jiro, who survived in Antarctica for a year. Right from the get-go, the idea of staying with a bunch of strangers who didn't speak English at . [76] There were no fatalities or serious injuries among the personnel all returned safely home. This work was begun in support of the International Geophysical Year period Of 1957-1958, and continues to the present Deviating from the expeditions initial plans and disobeying orders from the Ross Sea Committee, Hillary continued to the South Pole and arrived at the US Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station on January 3, 1958, becoming the first to make this journey using overland vehicles. Communication proved difficult, although the Norwegians were received hospitably, with wine and cigars. In Fuchs words: A trans-continental journey made wholly within territory claimed by the British Commonwealth [] would gain prestige and at the same time contribute to the solidarity of Commonwealth interests. The Japan National Institute of Polar Research began a multiyear research program in Antarctica to coincide with the International Geophysical Year of 1957. The newly established Scott Base was intended to serve the interests of both New Zealands IGY and TAE parties, and was placed under Hillarys command. The phylogenetic relationships of H. longifissa to other heteronemerteans remain uncertain. Photo Credit: NZ History Archives . [89] After taking on fresh coal and provisions, Kainan Maru left Wellington on 2 April, and arrived in Yokohama on 19 June. This giant snow cruiser carried five men and a Navy BI-plane and sufficient equipment for an exploring trip to last a year and it is missing. The name "Yamato Yukihara" was officially accepted by the Japanese Antarctic Place Names Committee in 2012. [17] Shirase also obtained important backing from one of Japan's leading newspapers, the Asahi Shimbun. [22] After cargo trimming in Tateyama, the ship finally left Japan on 1 December,[24] carrying 27 men and 28 Siberian dogs,[8] leaving behind a debt that would increase considerably during the course of the expedition, and would burden Shirase for many years. [41], After a successful plea for further funding, Nomura and Tada returned to Sydney in October with money, provisions and a fresh supply of dogs. [42] Nomura and another expedition member, Keiichi Tada, went back to Japan to report on the situation, and to seek further funding for a renewed attempt in the following season. Dr Fuchs pictured after signing his autograph for a well-wisher, at Buckingham Palace, after receiving his knighthood in May. In January, 1956, Admiral Byrd led another expedition to the Antarctic and there penetrated for 2,300 miles BEYOND the South Pole. At the head of a major public relations campaign, Hillarys attachment to the expedition was a big factor in growing support for the expedition. [93], Despite the lack of experience and the unsuitability of the ship,[72] the expedition had demonstrated conclusively that the Japanese could mount an Antarctic expedition. David formed a close friendship with Shirase, with whom he shared his knowledge and experience of Antarctic conditions. [77][n 3], After leaving Shirase's party, Kainan Maru sailed eastwards, arriving off the King Edward VII Land coast in Biscoe Bay on 23 January at 7656'S, 15555'W. Daniella McCahey is an assistant professor of History at Texas Tech University. 1958 was a common year . [43][41], The expedition found another influential supporter, in the person of Tannatt Edgeworth David, professor of geology at the University of Sydney. This project was a part of the International Geophysical Year (IGY), and Japanese Syowa Station was established on Ongul Island in Antarctica in 1957. The 58th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition had a rare opportunity to conduct ship-based observations near the tip of East Antarctic Shirase Glacier when large areas of heavy sea ice broke up . READ MORE: * Obituary: Vern Gerard, a scientist prepared to put a question mark on Hillary * Replica of Shackleton's boat donated to Akaroa * Go to Antarctica without leaving NZ * Antarctic Heritage Trust tractors cross the finish line for Sir Ed's hut. Kainan Maru was taken further east along the coast than any previous ship; the Dash Patrol sledged faster than anyone before, and became only the fourth team up to that time to travel beyond 80S. [34] In difficult and dangerous conditions, Nomura's skilful seamanship turned the ship northwards, and they were able to escape from the danger. [96][72], In 1979 Mary Edgeworth David donated her father's samurai sword to the Australian Museum, where it is a focus of interest to many Japanese visitors. Marine Biological Data of the Soviet Antarctic Expedition (1955-1958) It also became only the fourth team to travel beyond the 80S mark. The New Zealand support party he hoped would have some useful maps and geographical information to contribute. The announcement of the knighthood soon afterward was the signal for a second round of champagne. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Going home One of the sled dogs used by Dr Fuchs, catches a flight home after a job well done. Antarctica and thereafter. By the time Fuchs arrived at the Pole on January 19, a media firestorm had exploded. They were the first non-European team to explore in the Antarctic;[8] they made the first landing from the sea on King Edward VII Land, where both Scott (1902) and Shackleton (1908) had failed. Hillarys dash to the Pole was far more memorable than the actual crossing. You have made a notable contribution to scientific knowledge and succeeded in a great enterprise. Written permission to publish material subject to the Institute's copyright must be obtained from the Director. For Fuchs to succeed in journeying from the Weddell Sea to the Ross Sea via the South Pole, his plan like that of Ernest Shackletons ill-fated attempt 40 years earlier depended on a supporting party from New Zealand. Much of the expedition's science was either lost during the war, or kept under wraps until it was finally published in 1958. Nobu Shirase [1913], Nankyokuki (2007), p.83. Sir Edmund Hillary training on a tractor at Aoraki Mount Cook before his Antarctica expedition. He died in 1970 and was also placed on display at a university museum. Relations between the two men were improved, at least to the point where it was agreed that Sir Ed would join the . Fuchs party arrived, rather anticlimactically, at Scott Base on March 2, 1958, completing the historic 3,473 kilometre journey. The expedition was now characterised as a race to the Pole by two national parties headed by the adventurer Hillary and the scientist Fuchs. [45] A member of the expedition described the camp in idyllic terms: "surrounded by dense overgrown old trees guava, bottlebrush, evergreen oak and pineStanding on the rising ground behind the encampment you can gaze up at the hillside or turn to look at the sea belowlike a landscape painting come alive". The Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition (1955-58) achieved the first overland crossing of Antarctica via the South Pole. Operation Highjump: 1946-47 Expedition to Explore Antarctica From the Air. To request copies, please use the information above and refer to our request forms, policies, and pricing guidelines. The official story tells us that the Antarctic snow cruiser was . The remainder of the expedition was an exercise in damage control, with the organising committees in New Zealand and the UK stressing there was indeed only one expedition, and there had been no race to the Pole. [31][35] Kainan Maru would now make for Sydney, Australia, to sit out the southern winter and prepare for a second season. In its second Antarctic season, 191112, it made no major scientific or geographical discoveries, but could claim some significant achievements. The Japanese Antarctic Expedition of -12 was the first exploration of Antarctic territory by an expedition from Japan. Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition Data Reports. In such cases the archivist will advise about any requirements imposed by the owner. [30] The small leaves turned to large disks, four metres across, through which Kainan Maru attempted to drive a passage: "The crunch and crack every time we smashed through a floe were not at all pleasant. [28] The Christchurch Press thought they were "running it fine, even with their determination and daring". Antarctica (, Nankyoku Monogatari, lit."South Pole Story") is a 1983 Japanese drama film directed by Koreyoshi Kurahara and starring Ken Takakura.Its plot centers on the 1958 ill-fated Japanese scientific expedition to the South Pole, its dramatic rescue from the impossible weather conditions on the return journey, the relationship between the scientists and their loyal and hard . The inscription describes the plaque as "a symbol of everlasting friendship between both countries".[104]. By the time Fuchs arrived at the Pole on January 19, a media firestorm had exploded. Finding Shackleton's ship: why our fascination with Antarctica endures. The 12 nations listed in the preamble (below) signed the Antarctic Treaty on 1 December 1959 at Washington, D.C. A bundle of congratulatory cables awaited Dr Fuchs. As part of the International Geophysical Year (IGY), 1956-1958 Japan instigated a programme of Antarctic research. 200 years of exploring Antarctica the world's coldest, most forbidding and most peaceful continent. This was to the chagrin of many scientists in both parties, including the IGY scientific leader Trevor Hatherton, who decried the sites poor conditions for geologic, geomagnetic and seismic research. [16] Okuma formed and presided over the Antarctic Expedition Supporters Association,[14] and the public began to contribute, mainly in small amounts from what Shirase described as the "student class". Shirase found himself burdened with considerable expedition debts, with no government intervention. The surrounding plain was named by Shirase as Yamato Yukihara ("Japanese Snow Plain"). Many nations were involved in the discovery and early exploration of Antarctica. Correspondence, subject files, project files, and reports of Task Force 43 (Operation Deep Freeze), including records relating to U.S. Navy exploratory flights in Antarctica, 1955-94. [63], On 17 January, two officers from Fram, Thorvald Nilsen and Kristian Prestrud, paid a brief visit to the Japanese ship. Dr Vivian Fuchs yesterday completed his 21,100-mile crossing of the Antarctic continent from the Weddell Sea to the Ross Sea. Showa, established in January 1957 on East Ongul . The Ross Sea was open, and Kainan Maru proceeded swiftly south,[52] so that on 10 January they had their first sight of the Great Ice Barrier. Though we could sense the many secrets hidden in its depths, there was not a shadow to be seen. [8][81] The Japanese were, however, the first to make a successful landing on King Edward VII Land from the sea. [73] The next day they were confined by the weather to their tents. The dogs' story was used as the basis for the 1983 film Antarctica and the 2006 film Eight Below. To date, China has undertaken 34 national Antarctic expeditions and runs four research [47], When the ship's refurbishment was complete and the expedition ready to depart, Shirase and his officers wrote to David thanking him for all the help he had given: "You were good enough to set the seal of your magnificent reputation upon our bona fides, and to treat us as brothers in the realm of science Whatever may be the fate of our enterprise, we will never forget you". But the Ross Sea Committee, which organised the expedition, worked to imbue the public with a sense that their country had a stake in the Antarctic territory they claimed: the New Zealand Antarctic Expedition, as it was often called domestically, would be a triumph for their nation. Party arrived, rather anticlimactically, at Buckingham Palace, after receiving his knighthood in May ]. 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