06/02/2026
(Jun 2, 1891): Arrival of RMS Empress of Japan
On June 2, 1891, the RMS Empress of Japan arrived in Vancouver Harbour, completing her maiden voyage from Liverpool via the Suez Canal. The 140-metre steamship was part of Canadian Pacific Steamships’ new trans-Pacific service, helping establish faster connections between Canada, Asia, and Europe.
Built in Barrow-in-Furness, England, the Empress of Japan carried passengers, Royal Mail, and cargo including tea and raw silk across the Pacific. Alongside her sister ships, Empress of India and Empress of China, she became part of a major transportation network linking Vancouver with Hong Kong and other ports across Asia.
Powered by twin-screw reciprocating engines, the vessel later earned a reputation for speed on the Pacific route. In 1897, under Captain Henry Pybus, she achieved the fastest trans-Pacific crossing at the time and held speed records for more than two decades. During the First World War, the ship also served as an armed auxiliary cruiser for the Royal Navy before retiring in 1922 after completing 315 Pacific crossings.
Have you heard stories about the “Empress” steamships that once connected Vancouver to ports across the Pacific?
Image: CPR steamer Empress of Japan passing through the narrows, Vancouver, B.C., Item no. LM2006.1000.454, Vancouver Maritime Museum Collections.
