The Old Northern Sun Is a Classic Japanese Beauty Inside and Out

The Japanese culture has been a rich source of inspiration for many of the wealthiest yacht owners in the world. Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison is perhaps the most famous – all of his superyachts had Japanese names and vast interiors with the same Asian influence.

Northern Sun is one of the few superyachts that doesn’t just boast gorgeous Japanese-style interiors, but was also built in that country. It wasn’t built as a luxury yacht, but as something much more modest – an ice-class fisheries research vessel. And that was a long time ago, in 1976. It’s still a mystery how it ended up as a privately-owned pleasure craft, but it took more than a decade for it to become what it is today.

By 2007, the old Japanese ship had re-emerged as a sumptuous superyacht with classic interiors, modern amenities, and the inherited benefit of an ice-strengthened hull. Officially, the Northern Sun is an explorer yacht, but these days it spends most of its time cruising around Thailand.

Powered by two 900 HP Yanmar diesel engines, and able to carry plenty of fuel (175,000 liters) and freshwater (65,000 liters) the classic yacht can handle an outstanding range of 10,000 nautical miles (18,520 km). And it comfortably accommodates up to 12 guests and 14 crew onboard, while cruising effortlessly at no more than 10 knots (11.5 mph/18.5 kph).

The Northern Sun’s interiors are a delightful combination of classic style and traditional Japanese art. All of the six staterooms reveal unique Japanese themes and color palettes, blended with an extensive use of precious wood. There’s an abundance of tropical wood all throughout the yacht, including teak, makore and narra.

As you would expect with a classic yacht, the full-beam master suite includes a sumptuous office and a private library, in addition to the lavish king-size bed, and the elegant en-suite bathroom with a jacuzzi. Another classic staple is the piano in the entertainment salon, where guests can also play games. This is one of three interior lounges, including a spacious, yet luminous main salon on the main deck.

The Northern Sun is also perfect for connecting with the outdoors. Guests can opt for glamorous open-air dining on the aft deck, lounging and sipping cocktails on the foredeck, or taking in the stunning 360-degree views while chilling in the jacuzzi, on the sun deck.

Like any luxury charter yacht today, even this old research vessel had to include a generous selection of water toys, hidden inside its belly. Its guests can explore anything from paddle boarding and water skiing to diving and snorkeling. There’s even a giant inflatable water slide available, that’s two-deck high.

But the Northern Sun’s real treasures are hidden on the walls and on some of its elegant wooden tables. Unlike any other charter yacht today, it reveals an incredible art collection that belongs to its owners. These mysterious owners have carefully collected special souvenirs from around the world, throughout all of the years of cruising onboard their special yacht.

Today, this huge private collection includes things like Middle Eastern carpets and rugs from the early to mid-20th century, artworks that depict sailing ships from various decades, and antique ships’ models.

One of the most interesting items in this collection is a ship’s clock. These types of clocks were used by the crews of sailing ships centuries ago, and are still used by some navies today. They are based on four-hour watches. Each of these watches would start at a specific time of the day (12, 4, and 8, am and pm) and last for four hours, marking each half-hour with a single bell, and each hour with a double bell. The Northern Sun’s clock does the same today.

Another fascinating artwork is a 12-foot (3.6 meters) model of a famous luxury passenger liner built in Japan. It was known as the S.S. Shinyo Maru, built in 1911 by the Mitsubishi Dockyard in Nagasaki. This venerable vessel was 558-foot-long (170 meters) and it connected Hong Kong to San Francisco, using 13 steam boilers for its three sets of turbines.

It may seem like any other luxury charter yacht today, but the Northern Sun is full of surprises. It hides a long past that had nothing to do with modern yachting, and it reveals a fabulous art collection that is a piece of history in itself. One week onboard this 167-foot (51 meters) classic beauty costs more than $160,000, but you can’t put a price on its unique historic value.