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The USS Ryou-Un Maru's Japanese Legacy

The USS Ryou-Un Maru was a Japanese-built whaling factory ship that was seized by the US Coast Guard in 1971. Despite being a Japanese vessel, it was commissioned by the US Navy as the USCGC Ryou-Un Maru and played a significant role in anti-whaling efforts. The ship's Japanese heritage was a result of a covert operation where the US Navy purchased the vessel in secret, only to have it seized by the US Coast Guard before it could be used for whaling purposes.