In 1949, the Soya was transferred to the Maritime Safety Agency, the precursor to the Japan Coast Guard, and in a role supplying remote lighthouses came to acquire the nickname the'Santa Claus of the Sea'.
In 1949, her repatriation duties ceased and the Soya was transferred to the Maritime Safety Agency, the precursor to the Japan Coast Guard. In a new role supplying remote lighthouses she came to acquire the nickname the'Santa Claus of the Sea'.