The water front of Tokio is very shallow.
Kuré.
Kuré, in the province of Aki, is the coming dockyard of Japan. Situated on the Inland Sea, it is almost impossible of access by an enemy, while it is far nearer any possible base of operations than Yokosuka. Two large dry docks have been built here, but the larger is not yet complete.
Dimensions—
| No. 1. | ||
| Feet. | ||
| Length | 464 | |
| Width | 69 | |
| High-water depth | 29 | |
This dock is able to take the Asama class, but not the battleships.
| No. 2 (building). | ||
| Feet. | ||
| Length | 525 | |
| Width | 125 | |
| High-water depth on sill | 33½ | |
This dock is building for the new 16,400-ton battleships, and its dimensions indicate that still larger vessels are expected in the future. It will be the largest dry dock in the world.
Sassebo.
Sassebo, in Hizen, near Nagasaki, is not of much account as a dockyard. It has neither dry docks nor slips, and is essentially a place for minor repairs. For these it is very fully equipped.