Sōya (宗谷) is a Japanese icebreaker that serves as a museum ship in Tokyo after a long and storied service spanning some of the 20th century's historic events.

In February 1940, she was renamed Sōya, a name previously held by the former Varyag, an armoured cruiser seized from Imperial Russia, but which Japan returned in 1916.

On 9 August 1945, Sōya was at anchor in Onagawa Bay as part of a flotilla with other vessels when British bombers attacked from the air, sinking at least two of them.

Modifications at this time included removal of her guns and the installation of facilities for passengers, such as toilets in what had been her large forward and aft cargo holds.

In light of her ice-breaking ability, she was also assigned northerly missions, and by 1948, had made 14 voyages to and from Sakhalin (the former Karafuto), evacuating citizens by agreement with the new authorities from what had become part of the Soviet Union.

[6] (Sōya should not be confused during this period with Soya Maru, one of three ice-strengthened passenger ferries that operated on the Japan National Railways maritime Chihaku Line between Odomari, the present-day Korsakov in Sakhalin, and Wakkanai in Hokkaido from 1923 to August 1945.

Her second voyage, in 1958, made headlines worldwide when she rescued personnel stranded at the Showa research station in the face of approaching winter.

[2] Sōya herself experienced hardship during her time in the Antarctic, including becoming stuck in the ice and needing assistance from the nearby Russian icebreaker Ob.

Her last mission was a farewell tour to communities she had served, including the port of Hakodate, and photographs exist from this period of well-wishers swarming the ship before her departure.

Gone are the tall funnel and aft crane assembly, while the addition of a helicopter landing deck and higher forward gunwales give her a beefier appearance than the cargo ship she started out as.