Kitamae-bune “Northern-Bound Ships”

From the mid Edo Period (1700s) to the end of the Meiji Era (late 1800s) trade ships called “Kitamae-bune” sailed the Sea of Japan coast from Hokkaido to Kyushu, and through the Seto Inland Sea to Osaka. They traded cargo, and sold local specialties; selling not only the ship owner's cargo, but also the crew's own goods. This exhibition focuses on the Motoyoshi Port (current Mikawa), exhibiting the products and businesses of the local area. In the middle of the room is a one-tenth scale model of a kitamae-bune ship. It is modelled after the “Hakusan-Maru” ship, which belonged to one of the local ship owners in the late Edo Period. You can see the various details of the ship from all angles. 

Origins of the Kitamae-bune Name

The name “kitamae-bune” (north front ship) has many supposed reasons for its naming. It's said that people in Kansai named them so because the ships come from the north. Another story says because the ships are always moving toward the north. In Mikawa they were not called “kitamae-bune” but simply “fune” (ship) or “tento”. The large ships would anchor at sea, and small boats called “hashike” would carry luggage and people to and from the shore. 

Reason for Development

During the Edo Period, before cars and trains, the only way to carry luggage over land was by cart. However, as Japan is completely surrounded by sea, a variety of goods could be carried by boat. A profitable trade began between Osaka and Seto, and from this the trade route expanded to other coastal villages around Japan, creating jobs and developing the economy of these places. 

These ships did not only carry luggage, but also allowed for the sales of regional specialties, and the profits of ships varied depending on the skill of sailors and boatmen. Each voyage needed approximately 2 to 3 months, and would travel to each port. Some ships even did business with foreign ships, which was strictly forbidden at the time. It is said that some ships were able to earn 1,000 “ryou” (approximately 100,000,000 yen – almost 1 million USD) during just one voyage. 

Mikawa, located by the large Tedori River estuary, accumulated a number of sailors and boatmen, like many similar towns throughout Japan. The ships also travelled to the nearby towns of Mikuni (Fukui), Ataka, Kanaiwa, Shoguchi (Nanao), and Iwase (Toyama).
“Sengoku-bune” (1,000 goku ships) (goku = measurement of rice) were able to carry approximately 150 tonnes of rice, however in Mikawa even “Roppyakugoku-bune” (600 goku ships) were called Sengoku-goku. 

Main Cargo

In Mikawa the main goods carried were rice, cotton, sugar, fertilizer, candles, ceramics, salted goods, dried sardine, soybean, and azuki beans.
From Hokkaido trade was continued through selling herring and kelp. 

Major Ports Visited from Mikawa

See the floor map for the locations of the following major ports throughout Japan.
Izumozaki (Niigata), Sakata (Yamagata), Akita, Noheji (Aomori), Hakodate, Otaru, Miyako (Iwate), Matsue (Shimane), Karatsu (Saga), Simotsui (Okayama), Osaka, and Sakai.

Dangers

Kitamae-bune were a high-risk, high-reward form of trading. Ships were built to be short front-back, wide side-side, and with a single tall mast for sailing. They utilized a loophole in the law to evade high taxes placed on “cargo ships”, allowing for enormous profits. However, the ship design was not very safe, so during storms the ships became susceptible to capsizing, and accidents were common. There was a saying “underneath one board is hell” – meaning that the only thing separating people from hell (the bottom of the ocean) was one single board. This saying describes the harsh situation that people worked in. 

If there was an accident, the owner of the ship not only had to pay the cost of the goods, but also to the bereaved family. This would cost approximately 100,000,000 yen. It is said that some sailors lost at sea washed ashore in foreign lands and were saved.

Reason for Decline

From the middle of the Meiji Era, with the introduction of steam ships, sailing ships which relied on the wind were avoided. Furthermore with the development of railways, on-land transport of goods became the norm. The spread of the telegraph can also be considered a factor. As information flow became quicker, people were able to know the value of products better, so boatmen were unable to make as big a profits as they previously had. In Mikawa, there is still a house with a record of the price of fertilizer that was carried by ship, from the early Showa Period, making it one of the last records of kitamae-bune use.