Pacific University

Outside Inside
Pacific University
Location: Japan
Opened: 1968-07-03
Closed: 1968-09-13

A drawing of the Greek flag passenger liner Margarita as the Pacific University, originally published in the July 13, 1969 issue of the Japanese newspaper The Tokyo Observer

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The Pacific University (太平洋大学, Taiheiyo Daigaku), was a vessel converted from the Greek flag passenger liner "Margarita" into a "floating college" by the Omori Research Institute of International Relations of Tokyo (大森国際研究所, Omori Kokusai Kenkyujo) a.k.a. Omori Research Institute of International Affairs (大森国際問題研究所, Omori Kokusai Mondai Kenkyujo) in 1968, equipped with lecture rooms and, for recreation, a complete Sega amusement arcade containing a variety of equipment manufactured both by Sega Enterprises and the major American firms that the company represented in Japan at the time such as Rock-Ola, Williams, Bally, Midway, Chicago Coin, etc.

Born as "La Grande Victory" (Official number: 247247, MC Hull: 161, MARAD Type: VC2-S-AP3, operated by the Shepard Steamship Company of Boston, Massachusetts) and built at the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation in 1945 for the United States Merchant Marine as a World War II troopship (one of several ships used in Allied convoys during World War II, more precisely convoy CU 65 on April 8, 1945 and convoy UC 65B on April 27, 1945, and also one of over 700 navy ships used by the United States in Operation Magic Carpet), it was acquired in 1947 by the Dutch government as troop transport and renamed "Waterman" (meaning "Aquarius"), it was converted in 1952 into a migrant ship as part of the Holland America Line cruise line's fleet and ultimately sold in 1963 to the Greek finance and shipping magnate Yiannis Latsis, a.k.a. John Spyridon Latsis owner and founder of the Latsis Group, where it received the name "Margarita" (Greek: ΜΑΡΓΑΡΙΤΑ, Μαργαρίτα, Μάργαρετ).

Initiated by Japan's longtime journalist Minoru Omori (大森実, Omori Minoru), president and founder of the Omori Research Institute of International Relations of Tokyo, and mainly financed by his close friend Japanese journalist Soichi Oya (大宅 壮一, Oya Soichi), the Pacific University consisted of a series of ocean seminars on chartered ships (the Greek liner "Margarita", the Russian liner "Ilitch", etc.), held five times between 1968 and 1969 which gave over three thousand young Japanese students a chance to visit the United States, Europe and Asian countries in the late 1960s.

On July 3, 1968, departing from Tokyo’s Harumi Pier, Sega Enterprises and seven hundred and fifty Japanese college students and business trainees, together with fifty instructors, embarked on the first of a series of five week study visits to the United States. During the trip Japanese college students could study languages, sociology, political science and international relations while at sea and meet with American university students during port calls at San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Honolulu.

The ship was laid up and docked at the Japanese port of Shimotsu (currently Kainan) on February 17, 1969, after her return from the first two Pacific University cruises organized by the Omori Research Institute of International Relations of Tokyo, the first from Japan to Los Angeles and Honolulu (July 3 to August 8, 1968) and the second from Japan to Honolulu and San Francisco (August 10 to September 13, 1968), and then sold for scrap in the winter of 1970 to Japanese company Mitsui & Co., being delivered in Hiroshima on February 18, 1970 and ultimately scrapped at Onomichi by ship breakers Koshin Sangyo Co. Ltd (興進産業株式会社, Koshin Sangyo Kabushiki Gaisha), where scrapping began in March 1970 and was completed three months later in June of the same year.

Sega games aboard

This list is incomplete. Please help expand it.

• Basketball
• Helicopter
• Lady Luck (Williams import)
• MotoPolo
• World Cup (Bally import)

Magazine articles

Main article: Pacific University/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

An article about the Pacific University published in the May 6, 1968 issue of the Japanese magazine Weekly Sankei

Weekly Sankei; May 6, 1968 issue

Print advert for the 1st Pacific University seminar featured in the May 28, 1968 issue of the Japanese magazine Weekly Playboy

Weekly Playboy; May 28, 1968 issue

Print advert announcing the then upcoming 4th Pacific University seminar in The Tokyo Observer (JP) #122: "June 8, 1969" (1969-06-08)
also published in:

• The Tokyo Observer (JP) #123: "June 15, 1969" (1969-06-15)
• The Tokyo Observer (JP) #124: "June 22, 1969" (1969-06-22)
• The Tokyo Observer (JP) #125: "June 29, 1969" (1969-06-29)
• The Tokyo Observer (JP) #126: "July 6, 1969" (1969-07-06)
• The Tokyo Observer (JP) #127: "July 13, 1969" (1969-07-13)
• The Tokyo Observer (JP) #128: "July 20, 1969" (1969-07-20)
• The Tokyo Observer (JP) #129: "July 27, 1969" (1969-07-27)

Photo gallery

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  SS La Grande Victory (1945-1947)

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  SS Waterman (1947-1952)

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  SS Waterman after conversion (1952-1963)

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  SS Margarita (1963-1970)

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  Pacific University (SS Margarita)

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  Shinichiro "Slim" Ogasawara (left) of Sega Enterprises service department discussing loading details with a ship's officer

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  A Sega MotoPolo arcade cabinet being loaded into the Pacific University

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  Pacific University's students in respective uniform

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  Thousands of well-wishers throng Tokyo's Harumi Pier on July 3, 1968 to bid bon voyage to the travelers of the Pacific University

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  Minoru Omori (left)

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  Minoru Omori (left)

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External links

• www.koshin-sangyo.com
• Minoru Omori at ja.wikipedia.org
• Williams Lady Luck at www.ipdb.org
• Bally World Cup at www.ipdb.org
• Victory ship at www.wikipedia.org
• List of Victory ships at www.wikipedia.org
• List of Allied convoys during World War II by region at www.wikipedia.org
• List of Allied convoy codes during World War II at www.wikipedia.org
• List of CU convoys during World War II (convoy CU 1 through CU 73; 1943-1945) at www.warsailors.com (archived)
• List of UC convoys during World War II (convoy UC 1 through UC 71; 1943-1945) at www.warsailors.com (archived)
• Discussion at forum.nautilia.gr (archived)
• Discussion at yahoo.co.jp (archived)
• Biography of Japanese Enka singer Yasunori Sugahara (菅原やすのり, Sugahara Yasunori) containing a detailed account of his trip in the 1st Pacific University seminar, at www.gmm-yasunori.com (archived)