Sōya (宗谷) was originally commissioned as a cargo ship by the Soviets in 1936 and launched on 16th February 1938 as payment to the Japanese government for the construction of the South Manchuria Railway.

During the second world war, she was assigned by the Imperial Japanese Navy as an ammunition supply ship, and thereafter, as a mine sweeper, where she would have many close calls from enemy torpedoes and aircraft during her call of duty. After the war, Sōya was decommissioned from the Navy and assumed her new role as an evacuation ship repatriating countless citizens from Japan's former colonies.

In 1949, she was assigned to Japan's Maritime Safety Agency as a supply ship for remote lighthouses, earning her the nickname of 'Santa Claus of the Sea'. In 1950, she was refitted to prepare for service as Japan's first dedicated Antarctic research ship. Modifications included replacing her steam engines and installation of a helicopter deck.

After her Antarctic research assignments came to an end, Sōya became an ice-breaking rescue ship for the Maritime Safety Agency where she continued this role until her retirement in 1978.

She now rests at the Museum of Maritime Science in Tokyo, where she serves as a museum ship, educating the young and old alike on her varied and colorful history.

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