Japanese boat

Japanese: 和船 - わせん

A general term for the type of wooden boat that has been used in Japan since ancient times. It is also called the Japanese-style boat. However, there have been changes over time, and it has developed through the stages of single-piece hollowed-out boats (dugout boats), composite hollowed-out boats, semi-structured boats, and structured boats. Below, we will give an overview of the technological changes from ancient times to the early modern period, focusing on hull structure.

[Kenji Ishii]

Jomon period

Judging from the excavated examples, all are single-piece hollowed-out boats made by hollowing out a single piece of wood. As they were made using stone tools, they have a simple form, but most of the examples excavated since the Early Jomon period around 5,000 years ago, both on the Pacific coast and the Sea of Japan coast, have a sophisticated form with tapered bow and stern carved into a round shape, which is noteworthy when considering the development and spread of technology. Kaya was often used as the material because it is easy to work with. The propulsion device was an oar, a paddle that is rowed without a fulcrum, and this did not change even in the Kofun period as far as small boats are concerned.

[Kenji Ishii]

Yayoi period

During this period, craftsmanship improved with the use of metal tools. With this technology, it is conceivable that the development of large composite hollowed-out ships and semi-structured ships with side plates attached would have been possible, but no definite examples have been excavated. However, when we consider the ship drawings found on bronze bells and pottery, the travel to and from the continent during this period, and the seafaring peoples who migrated from the continent, the likelihood of the construction of large semi-structured ships is extremely high.

[Kenji Ishii]

Kofun period

The ships of this period were characterized by the fact that, in addition to the single-piece hollowed-out ships, there were also composite hollowed-out ships or semi-structured ships made by joining two or more hollowed-out components together, and that camphor was the main material used. Camphor trees grow on the Pacific coast, with Hitachi (Ibaraki Prefecture) as the northern limit, as well as in the Seto Inland Sea and Kyushu regions, and it seems that in ancient times there were a great number of large trees with a diameter of about 2 meters, making them the best material for ships in terms of thickness, the first requirement for large hollowed-out ships. On the other hand, however, they had the disadvantage of branching out at low points and making it difficult to obtain long timber, so in the end, large ships were built with a structure that joined two or more hollowed-out components together to make up for the lack of length. If side plates were joined to these wide composite hollowed-out ships to make them semi-structured ships, the sea resistance and loading capacity would be greatly increased, and efficient oars with fulcrums could be used for propulsion, making them suitable for transport to China via Korea.

Furthermore, there are quite a few ships depicted in murals on tumuli among the ship-related materials from the Kofun period. All of them are depicted as gondola-shaped ships with high wave resistance, which shows that this style was widespread at the time, regardless of whether they were single-piece hollowed-out ships, composite hollowed-out ships, or semi-structured ships.

[Kenji Ishii]

Nara to Kamakura period

Japanese Envoy Ship

The formation of the Ritsuryo state in the latter half of the 7th century led to a deeper inclination towards Chinese culture, and direct cultural introduction was undertaken through envoys to the Tang Dynasty. If the two Baekje ships built in Aki Province in 650 (Hakuchi 1) were used for the second Tang Dynasty mission, it is easy to imagine from their names that they were large junks of a different type from the existing semi-structured ships, probably from the Southern Dynasties of China. Of course, the shape and structure of the ships are unknown, but the reality was that the international situation called for a special large ship. In other words, as relations with Silla deteriorated, it was no longer possible to take the traditional route along the west coast of Korea (the northern route) using large semi-structured ships, and it was necessary to take the route from Kyushu to cross the East China Sea and reach China in one go (the southern route). Taking this route would have made it impossible to evacuate in bad weather, and food and water for more than 100 people on one ship would have had to be loaded in large quantities because it was not possible to replenish them along the way. This created a need for large, seaworthy ships, which is probably why large junks were built. The size of the ships would have been roughly 30 meters long and 8 meters wide, with a carrying capacity of about 150 tons.

[Kenji Ishii]

Domestic ships

The revolutionary construction of the Japanese envoy ships may have had a positive impact on existing shipbuilding techniques, but this trend was not clearly evident, and the abolition of the Japanese envoy missions in 894 led to the end of the technique. However, in shipping, which was mainly used for the transportation of government goods and manor taxes under the Ritsuryo system, there was no need for large ships like the Japanese envoy ships, and traditional semi-structured ships of about 20 to 30 tons were mainly used. Furthermore, since the shipping routes, mainly the Seto Inland Sea, were calm, large structural ships were unnecessary unless the amount of goods being distributed increased dramatically, so it is only natural that semi-structured ships, mainly hollowed-out ships, were the main force in shipping from the Heian to Kamakura periods. Furthermore, the propulsion device of this period changed from oars to rudders to improve efficiency, and rudders also evolved into Chinese-style stern rudders.

However, the fact that composite hollowed-out ships and semi-structured ships were still mainly used even in the Kamakura period must have been a sign of significant technological stagnation. This is partly due to the shipping situation mentioned above, but more importantly, the hollowed-out ship structures made from camphor wood were robust and durable. If the fragility of the ships sent to Tang China, built with the state's full power, was due to an insufficient level of structural ship technology, it would have been much more economical and practical to build ships that could withstand long-term use by primarily using familiar hollowed-out ship technology.

Meanwhile, along the coast of the Sea of Japan, where camphor trees do not grow, a different type of composite hollowing out technique was developed that made use of materials such as cedar. Although not as thick as camphor trees, long and flexible cedar and cypress were used to create two hollowing out sections on one side that ran from bow to stern, and a bottom material was inserted between them to widen the hull and join them together. This eventually evolved into the distinctive technique of omoki construction, as seen in the Hagase-bune and Hokkoku-bune ships, which were the main trading ships in this region until the early modern period.

[Kenji Ishii]

Muromachi period

The technology for large ships, which had been cut off with the abolition of the Japanese envoys to Tang China, was revived by trade with Song China, which gradually became more active from the 13th century onwards. Since the ships sent to Kenchoji Temple, Sumiyoshi Shrine, Tenryu-ji Temple and other places were aimed at large profits, large ships were absolutely necessary, and it must be said that by this time the volume of goods circulating in domestic shipping had increased significantly, and the construction of large ships with structures that went beyond hollowed-out ship technology had begun. This was also what made it possible for ships to travel frequently to and from Ming China, which began in the early 15th century, and what's more, large ships with a capacity of around 1,000 koku began to appear in domestic shipping as well.

The route taken by the ships sent to Ming China was a direct route to the continent, where the ships sent to Tang China had suffered terribly in the past. However, the ships sent to Ming China traveled without much difficulty, and unlike the ships sent to Tang China, they were not specially constructed. At least from 1432 (Eikyo 4), they simply chartered large merchant ships from Setouchi or Kitakyushu and remodeled them to accommodate a large number of crew members. This fact proves that ordinary merchant ships used in domestic seas were of such high quality that they could be converted into ships sent to Ming China that sailed directly through the East China Sea, and it can be said that this supports the high level of shipbuilding technology at that time. Moreover, the reason why the Muromachi period is considered a turning point in the history of shipbuilding technology is that they did not rely on advanced Chinese shipbuilding technology, but on shipbuilding technology that could be said to be unique to Japan.

The technical features of the hull of the Ming envoy ship are, firstly, that it is wide for its length, which is impossible to make from a semi-structured ship with a hollowed-out bottom, and secondly, that it is composed of wide rafters and numerous beams, which means that the structural foundations of later typical Japanese ships such as the Futanari-bune, Ise-bune, and Bezai-sen were already established. In addition, the rigging used traditional square matting sails, and here again, no Chinese influence can be seen. It is difficult to understand why they did not adopt the far superior Chinese style of rigging, but in this respect, it is no wonder that it was a step backward from the ships of the Tang envoys.

[Kenji Ishii]

Momoyama and Edo periods

Red seal ship

As mentioned above, Chinese influence was not seen in the ships that were established during the Muromachi period, but this does not include the Matsuura region (Nagasaki Prefecture), which became a base for the later Wako pirates. The introduction of Chinese technology in this region flourished during the red seal ship trade period, and it is believed that large ocean-going junks called Nihon-mae, such as the Araki-bune, Suetsugu-bune, and Sueyoshi-bune, were completed in the early 17th century. These Nihon-mae were also called mistwist-built, meaning a combination of Eastern and Western technologies, and the hull was based on the Chinese style, with the stern and rudder incorporating the structure of a galleon, a typical Western ocean-going ship, the forecastle and stern tower being a mix of Japanese and Western styles, and the sails being a mix of Chinese and Western styles, making it a Chinese-style junk that extensively incorporated galleon technology. Some ships were as large as 400-500 tons or even larger, and surpassed Chinese junks in terms of seaworthiness and sailing ability, approaching the level of galleons. However, due to the policy of national isolation, they became unnecessary and construction was halted, and the technology for seagoing ships was not put to good use in favor of subsequent Japanese ship technology.

[Kenji Ishii]

Completion of early modern shipping

In the early modern period, product distribution was limited to a relatively small area, so shipbuilding technology was also closed, and each region maintained its own unique technology based on its own local climate. Basically, it was a transition from semi-structured ships to structured ships, but it was a ship that met various conditions in the local sea conditions, such as seaworthiness, rowing, sailing, and material restrictions. Therefore, even though the mainstream at the time was the structured ship technology established in the Muromachi period that was centered on the Seto Inland Sea, in northern regions with little technical exchange with the Seto Inland Sea or the Pacific coast, distinctive ships were built using traditional technology. Some of the large cargo ships that played a major role in each region at that time included the Nigata-bune, Benzai-bune, and Adate in the Setouchi and Kyushu areas, the Ise-bune and Nigata-bune in the Ise and Tokai regions, the Haga-sen, Mase-bune, Hokkoku-sen, and Kumi-sen in the northern regions, and the Maruko-bune on Lake Biwa.All of these were equipped with the classic single square sail rigging, and so when the wind was not in their favor, the sail was lowered and they were propelled with a oar, remaining typical of medieval cargo ships.

However, in response to the development of a nationwide shipping network around the Kanbun period (1661-1673), the Setouchi and Kyushu benzai-sen, although they still had a single square sail, underwent improvements to their hull shape and rigging to improve their sailing performance, transforming them into modern merchant ships dedicated to sailing, capable of sailing against a certain degree of headwind. As a result, from the 18th century onwards, the number of days required for voyages was shortened, while crew numbers were reduced by 40%, resulting in a dramatic improvement in economy, and they quickly overtook the conventional ship types and became the dominant merchant ships.

The benzai-bune, which became a typical early modern shipping vessel, became popular throughout the country and was built everywhere, due in part to the spread of wood-splitting techniques and the widespread distribution of timber. For example, the higaki-kaisen and taru-kaisen were benzai-bune, and the Kitamae-bune of the Sea of Japan also became benzai-bune after the 18th century, replacing the Haga-se-bune and Hokkoku-bune.

Its distinctive feature is its plank ship structure, which consists of a rod-shaped bow member at the tip of the bottom material and a wide stand at the rear, combined with three tiers of outer planks called the kajiki, nakadana, and uwayama and numerous girders.This was a fundamentally different design concept from the rational structure of Western-style ships, which form a framework with a keel and ribs and then have narrow outer planks stretched over that.

[Kenji Ishii]

Association with warships

The structure of the Bensai-bune mentioned above was basically the same as that of the Nigata-bune and Ise-bune, which are thought to have been completed at the end of the Muromachi period, but the same was true of military ships that reached the peak of development during the Sengoku period. The Atake-bune, the most powerful military ship at the time, had a hull that was a typical large ship like the Nigata-bune and Ise-bune, but was simply equipped with an upper structure such as an arrow tower for combat. However, after the Tokugawa Shogunate banned feudal lords from owning Atake-bune in 1609 (Keicho 14), the main force of military ships shifted to Seki-bune, which had a weaker combat capability and a maximum capacity of 500 koku. As the Seki-bune was also called Haya-bune (fast ship), it was given special importance to speed, with a pointed bow and a much slenderer hull than the Atake-bune, but structurally there was no fundamental difference between the Atake-bune and the Bensai-bune.

As mentioned above, in the Edo period, the mainstream ships were cargo ships, as represented by the Bensai-sen, and military ships, as represented by the Seki-sen. Structurally, both required wide, long planks and kawara (roof tiles), but it was impossible to make them from a single piece of material. Therefore, large planks of the required dimensions were made by joining several planks together, and this joining technique is ingenious and unique to Japanese ships, which use sewn nails, and it made it possible to build ships with almost the same structure, from small boats such as the Choki and Tenma to large ships with a capacity of 1,000 koku or 2,000 koku. This joining technique is the essence of Japanese ship technology, and it is no exaggeration to say that it was developed to allow the plank ship structure, which was originally suitable for small boats and easy to make, to be used on large ships as well.

[Kenji Ishii]

Local shipping

As mentioned above, more than a few merchant ships disappeared in the late early modern period as the Bensai-sen spread nationwide. Some also continued to survive on a small scale as local merchant ships, despite being on the brink of extinction. A representative example of the former is the Hokkoku-sen from the Sea of Japan, which had already reached the forefront of technology at the time, building large ships with a capacity of over 1,000 koku in the early modern period. The hull structure of the ship was an advanced form of the omoki-zukuri style used since the Middle Ages, and the unique northern region techniques of chigiri and tatara were used to join the naves and boards, and the ship's shape was characterized by a rounded bow. However, due to its lack of economic viability, it was unable to survive until the end. A representative example of the latter is the Haga-se-bune from the same region. The basic structure of this ship was very similar to that of the Hokkoku-sen, and although it was overpowered by the Bensai-sen due to its poor sailing performance, its extremely sturdy hull was suited to the northern regions with their many reefs, and it was used by small and medium-sized local shipping ships in Wakasa (Fukui Prefecture) and Tango (Kyoto Prefecture) until the end of the Edo period. However, construction of this ship completely ceased after the Meiji period, and not even the timber cutting sheets or blueprints remain, so, like the Hokkoku-sen, we are finally able to get an outline of it from a few ship votive plaques and fragmentary historical materials.

[Kenji Ishii]

After the Meiji Period

The Meiji government attempted to modernize domestic shipping by replacing large Japanese-style ships with Western-style sailing ships, but was unsuccessful. As a result, after 1887 (Meiji 20), they decided to ban the construction of Japanese-style ships over 500 koku. In reality, however, this brought about a heyday of hybrid ships that incorporated Western-style sailing ship technology into Japanese-style ships, and this led to the era of motor-sail ships in the early Showa period.

On the other hand, small Japanese boats were not subject to these restrictions and were used nationwide as coastal fishing boats until recently, somehow retaining the appearance of Japanese boats. However, these have now been replaced by FRP boats (plastic boats) made of synthetic resin, and are now almost extinct.

[Kenji Ishii]

"Japanese Ships" by Ishii Kenji (1957, Tokyo Sogensha)" ▽ "Illustrated History of Japanese Ships" by Ishii Kenji (1983, Shiseido)" ▽ "Rediscovering Japan's Maritime History" by Ishii Kenji (1987, Japan Maritime Public Relations Association)" ▽ "The History of Japanese Wooden Ships" by Hashimoto Tokuhisa (1952, Hasegawa Shoten) " ▽ "Ships: A Cultural History of Things and People" edited by Sudo Toshikazu (1975, Hosei University Press) ▽ "The Sea and the Japanese" edited by Tokai University School of Marine Science and Technology (1977, Tokai University Press)

Structure of the Ming Dynasty Ships
©Shogakukan Library ">

Structure of the Ming Dynasty Ships

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

古くから日本において採用されている形式の木船の総称。日本型船ともいう。ただし時代による変遷があり、大別して単材刳船(くりぶね)（丸木船）―複材刳船―準構造船―構造船という段階を経て発展してきた。以下船体構造を中心に、古代から近世までの技術的変遷を概観する。

［石井謙治］

縄文時代

出土例でみる限り、すべて1本の木をくりぬいてつくった単材刳船である。石器を使ってつくるものだけに単純な形式をとっているが、約5000年前の縄文前期以来の出土例のほとんどが、太平洋側も日本海側もともに船首尾を先細にして丸く削り出すという洗練された形式をとっているのは技術の発達および伝播(でんぱ)を考えるうえで注目に値する。使用材料は、工作しやすい点からカヤが多く用いられた。また推進具は櫂(かい)で、支点を設けずに漕(こ)ぐパドルだが、この点は小船に関する限り古墳時代でも変わりはない。

［石井謙治］

弥生時代

この時代になると、金属器の使用で工作技術は向上した。こうした技術があれば、大型の複材刳船やそれに舷側(げんそく)板をつけた準構造船への発展が想像できるが、確実な出土例がない。しかし、銅鐸(どうたく)や土器にみられる船の絵とか、この時代の大陸との往来、大陸から渡来した海辺民族のことを考えると、大型準構造船建造の蓋然(がいぜん)性はきわめて高い。

［石井謙治］

古墳時代

この時代の船の特徴は、単材刳船のほかに、二つ以上の刳船部材を接合して一隻の船にした複材刳船ないし準構造船があることと、材料にクスノキが主用されていることである。クスノキは常陸(ひたち)（茨城県）を北限とする太平洋岸や瀬戸内、九州地方に生育し、古代では直径2メートル程度の巨木がかなり豊富だったらしいことから、大型刳船用材の第一条件である太さという点に関してはもっとも優れた船材であった。しかしその反面、低いところで枝分れし、長い材が得られない欠点もあって、結局長さの不足を補うため、二つ以上の刳船部材を接合する構造で大型船を建造した。この幅の広い複材刳船に舷側板を接合して準構造船にすれば、耐波性も積載量も大幅に増大し、推進具も支点を設けた効率のよいオールが使え、朝鮮経由の中国との交通には十分使用できたと思われる。

　なお古墳時代の船舶資料には古墳壁画の船が少なからずある。それらはすべて耐波性の高いゴンドラ形に描かれていて、当時は単材刳船・複材刳船・準構造船の区別なく、この形式が普及していたことを示している。

［石井謙治］

奈良～鎌倉時代

遣唐使船

7世紀後半における律令(りつりょう)国家の形成は、それまで以上に中国文化への傾斜を深め、遣唐使という直接的な文化導入の手段をとるようになった。650年（白雉1）安芸(あき)国で建造させた百済(くだら)船2隻が第二次遣唐使用だとすれば、その名からしても在来の準構造船とは別系統の、おそらくは中国南朝系の大型ジャンクであったことは想像にかたくない。むろん船型・構造とも不明だが、現実は特別な大船を必要とした国際情勢であった。つまり対新羅(しらぎ)関係が悪化して従来の大型準構造船による朝鮮の西海岸沿いの航路（北路）をとることができず、九州から東シナ海を横断して一気に中国に達する航路（南路）をとらざるをえなくなったことである。この航路をとると、荒天時の避難は不可能だし、一船100人以上の食料・水は途中で補給できないから大量に積み込む必要がある。そこで航洋性に富む大船が必要となり、大型ジャンクの建造となったものであろう。船の大きさはおそらく長さ約30メートル、幅約8メートル程度の太い船で、150トン積み程度が必要だったであろう。

［石井謙治］

国内航路の船

画期的な遣唐使船建造は、従来の造船技術に好ましい影響をもたらしたかもしれないが、明確な形ではその傾向はみられず、遣唐使廃止（894）はその技術をも断絶させてしまった。もっとも律令下の官物輸送や荘園(しょうえん)年貢の輸送が中心の海運では、遣唐使船のような大船を必要とするほどのことはなく、いきおい大型でも20～30トン積み程度の伝統的な準構造船を主用する結果になっていた。また瀬戸内海を中心とする航路が平穏であったことから、商品流通量が飛躍的に増大しない限り大型の構造船は不必要だったわけで、平安～鎌倉時代の海運の主力が刳船主体の準構造船だったのは当然であるといってよい。なお、この時代の推進具は櫂から櫓(ろ)にかわって効率を高め、舵(かじ)もまた中国式の船尾舵に発展している。

　ただ鎌倉時代になっても複材刳船や準構造船が主用されているのは、著しい技術的停滞に違いない。それは前に述べた海運事情にもよるが、もっと重要なことは、これらクスノキを用いた刳船構造が堅牢(けんろう)で耐久力があったということである。国家権力を傾けてつくった遣唐使船の脆弱(ぜいじゃく)さが、未消化の構造船技術ゆえのものであったとすれば、手慣れた刳船技術を主用して長期の使用に耐える船をつくるほうが、どれほど経済的で実用的だったかしれないからである。

　他方、クスノキの生育しない日本海沿岸では、スギなどの素材を生かした別系統の複材刳船技術が展開されていた。クスノキのように太くはないが、すなおで長いスギ、ヒノキなどを使い、船首から船尾までを通した片舷の刳船部材を左右二つつくり、その間に船体の幅を広げるための船底材を入れて結合するものであった。そしてその発展型として、近世前期までこの地方の主力廻船(かいせん)であった羽賀瀬船(はがせぶね)や北国船(ほっこくぶね)などのような面木(おもき)造りという特徴的な技術に転じていったものである。

［石井謙治］

室町時代

遣唐使船廃止で断絶した大型構造船技術は、13世紀以降しだいに活発化する対宋(そう)貿易によって新たな芽を吹くに至った。建長寺(けんちょうじ)、住吉神社、天竜寺などの派遣船が大きな利潤を目的としている以上、大船はどうしても必要であり、もうこのころには国内海運の商品流通量の大幅な増加があって、刳船技術を脱した大型構造船の建造が始まっていたとみなくてはならない。また、それだからこそ15世紀初頭に始まる頻繁な遣明船(けんみんせん)の往来が可能となったのであり、さらには1000石積み前後の大船が国内海運にも登場するようになるのである。

　ところで、遣明船がとった航路は、その昔遣唐使船がさんざんな目にあわされた大陸への直航路であった。だが、遣明船はさしたる苦労もなく往来しているし、といって遣唐使船のように特別の船をつくったわけでもない。少なくとも1432年（永享4）以後では瀬戸内や北九州の大型商船をチャーターし、これを多人数が乗り組めるように改装したものにすぎなかった。この事実こそ、国内海運用の普通の商船が東シナ海を直航する遣明船に転換できるほど優れた船質だったことを証明するもので、当時の構造船技術の水準の高さを裏づけるものといってよい。しかも、先進的な中国の造船技術に頼らず、日本独自といえる構造船技術によっているところに、室町時代が造船技術史上の画期とされる理由がある。

　遣明船の船体の技術的な特徴は、第一に船体の長さのわりに幅が広く、刳船式船底の準構造船ではとうていつくりえないものであること、第二に幅広い枻板(たないた)と多数の船梁(ふなばり)とで構成することで、これらは二形（二成）船(ふたなりぶね)、伊勢船(いせぶね)、弁才船(べざいせん)などといった、後の典型的な和船の構造的基礎がすでに確立されていることを意味している。また帆装は伝統的な莚(むしろ)の四角帆を用い、ここにも中国の影響はみられない。なぜはるかに優れた中国式の帆装を採用しなかったのか理解に苦しむが、この点に関する限り遣唐使船より退歩しているといわれてもしかたがない。

［石井謙治］

桃山・江戸時代

朱印船

先に室町時代に確立した構造船には中国の影響がみられないと述べたが、これは後期倭寇(わこう)の基地化した松浦地方（長崎県）を別にしての話である。この地方の中国技術導入が朱印船貿易時代を迎えて開花し、17世紀初半の荒木船(あらきぶね)、末次船(すえつぐぶね)、末吉船(すえよしぶね)などに代表される日本前(まえ)とよばれた大型航洋ジャンクを完成したものと思われる。この日本前は合の子船(あいのこぶね)（東西技術の折衷の意）を意味するミスツイス造りともいわれ、船体は中国式を基本にして船尾や舵に西洋の典型的な航洋船であるガレオン船の構造を交え、船首楼や船尾楼は和洋折衷、帆装が中洋折衷というように、中国式ジャンクにガレオン船の技術を広範に取り入れたものであった。大きさは400～500トン程度からそれ以上の大船もあり、航洋性でも帆走性でも中国式ジャンクを凌駕(りょうが)し、ガレオン船の域に迫るものがあったと思われる。しかし鎖国政策で不必要になって建造は停止され、せっかくの航洋船技術も、その後の和船技術のうえに生かされずに終わってしまった。

［石井謙治］

近世的廻船の完成

近世初期の商品流通は比較的狭い領域的なものだったため、造船技術も閉鎖的であり、それぞれの地方の風土的条件のもとに独自の技術を保っていた。それは基本的には準構造船から構造船への移行を遂げながら、その地方の海況に応じた凌波(りょうは)性、漕櫓(そうろ)性、帆走性あるいは使用材料の制約といった諸条件を満たすものであった。したがって当時の主流が室町時代に確立した瀬戸内中心の構造船技術であっても、北国地方のように瀬戸内や太平洋岸との技術的交流の少ない地方では、伝統的な技術を生かした特徴的な船をつくっていたのである。当時、各地方で主流的役割を果たしていた大型廻船(かいせん)をあげてみると、瀬戸内・九州方面の二形船・弁才船・あだて、伊勢・東海地方の伊勢船・二形船、北国地方の羽賀瀬船・間瀬船(まぜぶね)・北国船・組船、琵琶(びわ)湖の丸子船などがあり、いずれも四角帆1枚の古典的帆装のため、順風を得ないときは帆を降ろして櫓で推進するという中世的廻船の域を脱しないものであった。

　ところが、寛文(かんぶん)期（1661～73）ごろの全国的海運網の整備に対応して、瀬戸内や九州の弁才船は四角帆1枚ながら船型、帆装などに改良を加えて帆走性能を向上させ、ある程度の逆風帆走も可能な帆走専用の近世的廻船に脱皮するに至った。これにより18世紀以後は航海日数の短縮化を実現すると同時に、乗組員を4割がた減じるなど、著しい経済性の向上を実現し、たちまち在来の諸船型を圧倒して廻船の主座につく結果になった。

　このように近世的廻船の典型となった弁才船は、木割(きわり)術の普及と使用木材の広域流通の影響もあって、全国的に流布し、至る所で建造されるようになった。たとえば、菱垣(ひがき)廻船や樽(たる)廻船もこの弁才船だったし、日本海の北前船(きたまえぶね)も18世紀以降は羽賀瀬船や北国船にかわって弁才船化していった。

　その特徴は、船底材の先端に棒状の船首材、後端には幅広い戸立てをつけ、これに加敷(かじき)、中枻(なかだな)、上(うわ)枻という3段の外板と多数の船梁を組み合わせて構成する板船構造で、これが、西洋型船のように竜骨と肋骨(ろっこつ)で骨組をつくり、その上を幅の狭い外板で張り詰めてゆく合理的構造とは根本的に設計思想を異にする点であった。

［石井謙治］

軍船との関連

前記の弁才船の構造は、基本的には室町時代末期に完成したとみられる二形船や伊勢船と変わらなかったが、それは戦国時代に発達の頂点に達した軍船の場合でも同様であった。当時もっとも強力な軍船であった安宅船(あたけぶね)は、船体自体は二形船や伊勢船のような代表的な大船構造のままで、ただ矢倉など上回り構造を戦闘向きに艤装(ぎそう)したにすぎないものであった。しかし1609年（慶長14）徳川幕府による諸大名の安宅船所有禁止のあとは、軍船の主力は500石積みを限度とする戦闘力の弱い関船(せきぶね)に移った。関船は早船(はやぶね)の別称をもつように、とくに速力を重視して、尖鋭(せんえい)な船首と安宅船よりもはるかに細長い船型をもっていたが、構造的には安宅船同様、弁才船と基本的な違いはなかった。

　以上のように、江戸時代では弁才船に代表される廻船形式と、関船に代表される軍船形式とが主流をなしていた。構造上はいずれも幅の広い長大な枻板や航(かわら)を必要としたが、それらを一材でつくりだすことはとうてい不可能であった。そこで、何枚もの板をはぎ合わせて所要の寸法の大板を作成したが、このはぎ合わせの技術は縫釘を使う和船特有の巧妙なもので、これによって猪牙(ちょき)、伝馬(てんま)の小船から1000石、2000石積みの大船に至るまで、ほぼ同じ構造で建造することができたのである。このはぎ合わせ技術こそ和船技術の真髄ともいうべきものであって、本来小船向きでつくりやすい板船構造を、そのまま大型船にも使えるように開発された手法といって過言ではない。

［石井謙治］

ローカル型廻船

すでに述べてきたように、弁才船の全国的進出によって近世後期には姿を消してしまった廻船も二、三にとどまらなかった。また滅亡に瀕(ひん)しながら、地方的廻船として細々と生き続けたものもあった。前者の代表が日本海方面の北国船だが、近世初期すでに1000石積み以上の大船を建造するような、いわば当時第一流の技術に達していた船であった。その船体構造は中世以来の面木(おもき)造りの発展形式で、航や枻板のはぎ合わせには「ちぎり」と「たたら」を使うという北国地方独特の手法を駆使し、船型的にも丸い船首に大きな特色があった。しかし経済性に欠けるため、最後まで残ることができなかった。また後者の代表には、同じ地方の羽賀瀬船があげられる。この船の基本構造は北国船とよく似ており、帆走性能の低さのために弁才船に圧倒されたが、きわめて頑丈な船体が、岩礁の多い北国地方に適しているとあって、若狭(わかさ)（福井県）、丹後(たんご)（京都府）あたりの中小のローカル廻船に幕末まで使われていた。しかしその建造は明治以後まったくとだえ、木割書(きわりがき)や図面すら残っていないありさまなので、北国船同様わずかな船絵馬や断片的史料によってようやく概略がつかめているにすぎない。

［石井謙治］

明治時代以後

明治政府は、国内海運の近代化を意図して大型和船のかわりに洋式帆船を主用しようとしたが成功しなかった。そこで1887年（明治20）以後は、500石積み以上の和船の建造禁止に踏み切った。しかし現実には、和船に洋式帆船の技術を取り入れた折衷式の合の子船の全盛時代を現出し、これが昭和初期の機帆船時代へと移行した。

　他方、小型和船は制約外のため沿岸漁船として近年まで全国的に使用され、どうにか和船の姿をとどめていたが、これも主流は合成樹脂使用のFRP船（プラスチック船）にとってかわられ、今日ではほぼ滅亡に近い状況となっている。

［石井謙治］

『石井謙治著『日本の船』（1957・東京創元社）』▽『石井謙治著『図説和船史話』（1983・至誠堂）』▽『石井謙治著『海の日本史再発見』（1987・日本海事広報協会）』▽『橋本徳寿著『日本木造船史話』（1952・長谷川書店）』▽『須藤利一編『船――ものと人間の文化史』（1975・法政大学出版局）』▽『東海大学海洋学部編『海と日本人』（1977・東海大出版部）』