Japanese ships of the Azushi-Momoyama period (1568-1603) and the early Edo period (1603-1700)

[Scottish Guy]

I´m wondering if someone knows about some books or plans of japanese ships of the Azushi-Momoyama period (which was between 1568 to 1603) and the early Edo period (1603-1700). Unfortunately during the Edo period Japan started to isolate themselves again so there might not be much (at least not in a foreign language but Japanese - which I can´t read).

I´m mostly interested in fishing and merchant vessel and galleys but also in traditional Japanese sail boats. From the Edo period I know that the English and Portuguese took influence on Japanese boat / ship building. That´s why I´m more interested in the traditional Japanese boats and ships. I can´t find much about those, only some vague plans and one book (about model building but not about historical backgrounds or traditional boat / ship building).

 

Micha

[Harvey Golden]

Hello Micha!  Not sure if this will be much help, but I'd recommend Douglas Brooks' "Japanese Wooden Boatbuilding" (2015); it features a number of traditional small craft that no doubt have very ancient forms and roots. It also has a brief chapter ("The Last Shipwright") on a builder there who has made two full-size replicas of large 'ancient' Japanese ocean going vessels-- the Michinoku Maru and the Naniwa Maru.  The book has lines for neither, but projects of this scope must have some serious research and drawings behind them, so perhaps they are available somewhere.  The book is a superb primer on traditional Japanese boat joinery, though.   The book: http://douglasbrooksboatbuilding.com/japanese_wooden_boatbuilding.html

 

Hope this helps!

-Harvey

[Scottish Guy]

30 minutes ago, Harvey Golden said:

Not sure if this will be much help, but I'd recommend Douglas Brooks' "Japanese Wooden Boatbuilding" (2015); it features a number of traditional small craft that no doubt have very ancient forms and roots.

 

Hello Harvey, thank you for your suggestion, that´s exactly the only book I could find. I ordered one (just don´t know how long it will take to be delivered to Europe) but what I read about it, it doesn´t quiet give me the plans of the boats / ships. It more describes how the boats where made. I will give it a go, but I look more for books or plans that I could utilise to create a scratch build for one of those boats / ships.

 

Micha

[Harvey Golden]

5 hours ago, Scottish Guy said:

 

... what I read about it, it doesn´t quiet give me the plans of the boats / ships. It more describes how the boats where made. 

There are drawings of a few of the boats in it, but you'll need to add a scale, baseline, etc. Definitely "buildable" drawings, though, and the author may have more available.  Also, he may be the best person to ask regarding lines drawings of historic Japanese traditional vessels. 

H-

 

[Scottish Guy]

5 hours ago, Harvey Golden said:

There are drawings of a few of the boats in it, but you'll need to add a scale, baseline, etc. Definitely "buildable" drawings, though, and the author may have more available.  Also, he may be the best person to ask regarding lines drawings of historic Japanese traditional vessels. 

 

Thank you for the additional information. Will wait till the book arrives. Maybe I can contact the author and he is even willing to share information that is not written in the book or has plans to share.

 

Micha

[Cristiano]

17 hours ago, Scottish Guy said:

I´m wondering if someone knows about some books or plans of japanese ships of the Azushi-Momoyama period (which was between 1568 to 1603) and the early Edo period (1603-1700). Unfortunately during the Edo period Japan started to isolate themselves again so there might not be much (at least not in a foreign language but Japanese - which I can´t read).

I´m mostly interested in fishing and merchant vessel and galleys but also in traditional Japanese sail boats. From the Edo period I know that the English and Portuguese took influence on Japanese boat / ship building. That´s why I´m more interested in the traditional Japanese boats and ships. I can´t find much about those, only some vague plans and one book (about model building but not about historical backgrounds or traditional boat / ship building).

 

Micha

Maybe you can try to find more informations and books related to this floating replica that was made more than 20 years ago in Japan:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naniwa_Maru

 

I remember I read an article about the technics of construction of this vessel, since they used the same ancient technics to build it.

 

 

 

 

[Chapman]

Hi Micha!

 

There are plans of Japanese ship/boat types in Admiral Paris Souvenirs de Marine 1882 - 1892.

I think that with a little searching you can also find his plancollection in digital form on the Internet.

 

Joerg

Edited April 26 by Chapman

[Cristiano]

it seems that the above cited ship's replica is rather famous in Japan.

Probably there aren't many studies about those type of ships.

So it is the most proposed example, commercially.

I just found that exist a wooden kit of it!

below an example of a link to a online shop where the kit is sold (the eternal Amazon):

https://www.amazon.ca/Woody-Joe-Higaki-Kaisen-Wooden/dp/B00B8HVAL2

 

Below a review of the kit :

https://wasenmodeler.com/2013/11/25/initial-thoughts-on-woody-joes-higaki-kaisen/

 

Below the construction of the model INSIDE THIS FORUM:

 

[Scottish Guy]

4 hours ago, Cristiano said:

below an example of a link to a online shop where the kit is sold (the eternal Amazon):

https://www.amazon.ca/Woody-Joe-Higaki-Kaisen-Wooden/dp/B00B8HVAL2

 

 

Thank you for that, never checked Amazon for model kits like that. The price is quiet shocking but also in USD, have to check if it´s sold in the UK as well.

4 hours ago, Cristiano said:

Below a review of the kit :

https://wasenmodeler.com/2013/11/25/initial-thoughts-on-woody-joes-higaki-kaisen/

 

Below the construction of the model INSIDE THIS FORUM:

 

Thank you for that as well Christiano, will have a look at those links. Looks like the Japanese kept a lot of secrets, as in the past as well lol

 

Micha