世界「敗戦国に南極なんて無理だろww」→オンボロの日本の船が南極を目指した結果…

In 1956, just 10 years after its defeat in the war, Japan, which had not yet joined the United Nations, volunteered to participate in Antarctic research. However, the world's reaction was lukewarm. The only ship available was the 20-year-old, second-hand vessel "Soya," which had had its name changed five times. The assigned location was a blank zone, reported as "Inaccessible" because no other country could dock there. Why, then, did Japan aim for Antarctica? This is a heartwarming true story of a dilapidated ship, laughed at by the world, 22 Sakhalin Huskies, and a young dog handler who had never even touched a dog sled before. ■Fun Facts about the Antarctic Research Vessel "Soya" 〇The Soya was a "lucky ship" even during wartime: In 1943, when it was a naval special service ship, the Soya was hit by a torpedo from an enemy submarine, but it miraculously failed to detonate. There's an anecdote that the crew pulled the unexploded torpedo, which was stuck in the hull, onto the deck and took a commemorative photo. During the 1944 air raid on Truk Island, the ship ran aground and an order to abandon ship was given. However, after the air raid, it naturally refloated and floated, bringing tears to the eyes of the crew who returned to check on it. While approximately 50 of its sister ships sank, the Soya survived. 〇 Antarctic research was realized through "national donations": Post-war Japan lacked the budget for Antarctic research, so the Asahi Shimbun sponsored a national support campaign. The total amount of donations received exceeded 140 million yen. There were even public competitions for lyrics to an Antarctic research song and for naming the helicopter, making it a national project that the whole of Japan sent off as "our Antarctic research." 〇 There was a statue of "15 Sakhalin Huskies" beneath Tokyo Tower: In 1959, the Japan Animal Welfare Society erected a group statue of 15 Sakhalin Huskies to commemorate those left behind in Antarctica. The sculptor was Takashi Ando, ​​the same sculptor who created the second Hachiko statue in Shibuya. It was located at the entrance of Tokyo Tower for a long time, but was removed in 2013 and can now be seen at the National Institute of Polar Research in Tachikawa City, Tokyo. 〇 Sakhalin Huskies are gone: The Sakhalin Huskies, made famous by Taro and Jiro, had almost completely disappeared from Japan by the 1970s due to measures against echinococcosis. The last remaining dog, kept by a preservation society in Hokkaido, died in 2016, and subsequent investigations revealed that crossbreeding had progressed. It is highly likely that purebred Sakhalin Huskies no longer exist. The dogs that ran in Antarctica live on in taxidermied specimens, statues, and records. ■ References The following websites were used as reference materials. *Antarctic Research Vessel Soya - Museum of Maritime Science (funenokagakukan.or.jp)* *About Japan's Antarctic Research - National Institute of Polar Research (nipr.ac.jp)* *Antarctic Research Project in the International Geophysical Year and the Asahi Shimbun (Annual Report of Science, Technology and Society, Vol. 25) - J-STAGE (jstage.jst.go.jp)* *A Surprise Revival from "All Hands Abandon Ship!"? What Was the Greatest Crisis Faced by the "Lucky Ship" "Soya," Which Later Became an Antarctic Research Vessel? - Traffic News (trafficnews.jp)* *Sakhalin Husky Statue (Shiba Park, Minato-ku, Tokyo) - Antarctic Alumni Association (jare.org)* *Reported Research Findings Possibly Inevitably Preserve Purebred Sakhalin Huskies - Nagoya University Faculty of Informatics and Graduate School of Informatics (i.nagoya-u.ac.jp)* ■ Viewing Notes and Disclaimers This video is an entertainment piece (fiction) based on real people and records. While some of the characters' feelings and dialogue are fictionalized for dramatic effect, there is no intention to defame or slander any specific individual, group, or country. ■Regarding the Characters and Events: The statements and actions of the characters in this video are based on publicly available materials and records from institutions such as the National Institute of Polar Research and the Museum of Maritime Science. The depiction of international relations at the time is a presentation of historical facts and is not intended to make any political statements against any particular country. ■Materials Used: VOICEBOX (Zundamon): https://voicevox.hiroshiba.jp/ Character Illustrations (Sakamoto Ahiru): https://commons.nicovideo.jp/works/im... Irasutoya: https://www.irasutoya.com/?m=1