Kenchoji Boat

This merchant ship sailed to the Yuan Dynasty with the backing of the Kamakura Shogunate, with the main purpose of raising funds for the construction of Kenchoji Temple, which was destroyed by fire in 1315 (Showa 4). Historical documents show it as the "Kenchoji Construction Fee Chinese Ship." It departed around July 1325 (Shochu 2) and returned to Japan around September of the following year. It is known that the Shogunate ordered the Jito Gokenin (local vassals) of the Kyushu region to guard the voyage and transport the imported goods after returning home. In other words, in return for officially approving the voyage and providing protection, the Shogunate required the ship to allocate a certain amount of the profits it made from trade after returning home to the construction of Kenchoji Temple. This was the forerunner of subsequent ships such as the Kanto Daibutsu Fee Chinese Ship and the Tenryu-ji Construction Fee Chinese Ship (Tenryu-ji Ship).

[Masatoshi Ishii]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

1315年（正和4）に火災にあった建長寺の造営費捻出(ねんしゅつ)を主目的に、鎌倉幕府の後援を受けて元(げん)に渡航した商船。史料には「建長寺造営料唐船」などとみえる。1325年（正中2）7月ごろ出航し、翌年9月ごろに帰国した。幕府が航海の警固、帰国後の舶載品運送などを、九州地方の地頭御家人(じとうごけにん)に命じていることが知られる。つまり、幕府が渡航を公認し、保護を加えることの見返りとして、帰国後に貿易で得た利潤のうち一定の額を建長寺造営費にあてさせたものであろう。これ以後に続く関東大仏料唐船、天竜寺(てんりゅうじ)造営料唐船（天竜寺船）などの先駆をなすものである。

［石井正敏］

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