Hello, this is Ryohei Yanagihara. Thank you very much for your visit to this museum.

In 1948, what were you doing? Many of you were not even born, I am sure. It was the year I visited O.S.K. Line (today's MOL) for the first time. As a ship-happy boy, I wrote letters to many shipping lines. The warmest response came from OSK. The ship-happy boy grew into a ship-happy young man, then into a ship-happy middle aged, and into what I am now.

For over a half century since, I have drawn many pictures of ships. If I may boast a little bit of them, my ship pictures may look just casual sketches, but in fact they are based on real blueprints. This makes me a ship-happy artist, not just an artist.

This museum displays cutout art works which are full of my emotion. In the library, you will find my essays which, I am sure, will make you understand what my emotion is like. There are a lot more of works by this artist, ship-happy for over a half century. I will add more to the exhibits and fill the library racks. Do look forward to them. Thank you.

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Artist Ryohei Yanagihara Chronology

1931 : Born in Tokyo.

1954 : Joins Kotobukiya (today's Suntory), assigned to the advertising department. Together with Ken Kaiko and Hitomi Yamaguchi (Both were famous authers in Japan), produced TV commercials featuring Uncle Torys, which dominated the minds of viewers.

1959 : Leaves Suntory; has since been active as a freelance artist.

1965 : Honorary Chief Officer of MOL.

1969 : Honorary Captain of MOL. Produces the Alligator mark, the mascot of MOL's container service.

2015 : Ryohel Yanagihara passed away on August 17

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"Yanagihara Honorary Captain Museum" is a virtual museum on the Internet.