Tourism EXPO Japan 2026
Merchant Ships Carrying Goods, Culture, and Big Dreams
Merchant Ships Carrying Goods, Culture, and Big Dreams (Hokkaido, Aomori, Akita, Yamagata, Niigata, Toyama, Ishikawa, Fukui,
Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Tottori, Shimane, Okayama, Hiroshima, Kagawa Prefectures)
The ships were fragile, the voyages fraught with danger. Yet for more than a century the kitamae-bune merchant ships traveled between Hokkaido and Osaka along the Sea of Japan, drawn by the magnificent fortunes that could be earned from their trade.
The kitamae-bune were effectively trading companies on the sea. From around the mid-18th century to the beginning of the 20th century they bought and sold goods at each port of call ranging from salt, herring, and rice to paper, knives, and clothing. A kitamae-bune large enough to carry about 150 tons of rice could earn the modern equivalent of 60 million to 100 million yen, or about US$500,000 to $900,000, on a single voyage. It is easy to understand why so many sailors sought to rise through the ranks of the crew and eventually save enough money to buy their own ship.
The vast home of ship owner Sakaya Chobei is a vivid illustration of these potential riches. It was built in 1876 with some of the finest materials in the land and today houses a kitamae-bune museum in Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture. Among the items on display are navigational equipment used by crewmembers and a model of a kitamae-bune ship.
The kitamae-bune were purveyors of culture as well as goods, spreading folk songs, performing arts, food, and customs along their route. Sailors would learn local songs at a port, for example, which they would then sing at their next stop. As these songs traveled, they were developed into new folk music and performing arts that live on to this day.
Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Tottori, Shimane, Okayama, Hiroshima, Kagawa Prefectures)
The ships were fragile, the voyages fraught with danger. Yet for more than a century the kitamae-bune merchant ships traveled between Hokkaido and Osaka along the Sea of Japan, drawn by the magnificent fortunes that could be earned from their trade.
The kitamae-bune were effectively trading companies on the sea. From around the mid-18th century to the beginning of the 20th century they bought and sold goods at each port of call ranging from salt, herring, and rice to paper, knives, and clothing. A kitamae-bune large enough to carry about 150 tons of rice could earn the modern equivalent of 60 million to 100 million yen, or about US$500,000 to $900,000, on a single voyage. It is easy to understand why so many sailors sought to rise through the ranks of the crew and eventually save enough money to buy their own ship.
The vast home of ship owner Sakaya Chobei is a vivid illustration of these potential riches. It was built in 1876 with some of the finest materials in the land and today houses a kitamae-bune museum in Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture. Among the items on display are navigational equipment used by crewmembers and a model of a kitamae-bune ship.
The kitamae-bune were purveyors of culture as well as goods, spreading folk songs, performing arts, food, and customs along their route. Sailors would learn local songs at a port, for example, which they would then sing at their next stop. As these songs traveled, they were developed into new folk music and performing arts that live on to this day.
Co-exhibitor of Japan Heritage
"What on Earth?!" Flame Pots and Snow Counry Culture in the Shinano River Basin :
140 Years of Japanese Wine ~ A Fermented Masterpiece of Japanese Culture ~ :
A 1,300-Year-Old Buddhist Pilgrimage :
A Cultural Heritage Linking the Sea to the Ancient Capital :
A Landscape Interwoven with Vineyards -Kyotoh-Yamanashi Wine County- :
A Miniature Garden City from the Middle Ages Built Around the Onomichi Channel :
Along the Ley Lines – Sanctuary of Sun and Earth ~ Ueda Shiodadaira: a town that lives with dragons :
An Edo Travelogue through Four Hokuso Cities :
Awa – The Home of “Ai”: Searching for the Supreme Blue of Japanese indigo :
Bantan Throughway - Gin no Bashamichi and Koseki no Michi Japan Heritage Site :
Defense Network of Satsuma Samurai Districts in the Edo Period :
Educational Heritage and World Heritage Registration Promotion Council :
Esashi Town Tourism and Community Development Council :
Eternal History Told Through Iwami's Volcanoes — Trip of Discovery to the “Jomon Forest” and “Silver Mine” — :
From Forest Railway to Yuzu Road-The Story of Japan’s Largest Yuzu-Growing Region :
Japan Heritage "Shikoku Henro" ～Circular pilgrimage route and unique pilgrimage culture～ :
Japan Heritage Tourism :
Japan's Largest Livestock Market Born of Jizo Bodhisattva Worship :
Kakaa Denka – The Peerless Wives ~ The Story of Silk in Gunma Prefecture ~ :
Kamakura ～A Historical and Cultural Mosaic～ :
Kasama and Mashiko: The Story Woven by Twin Pottery-Making Districts :
Kurashiki and the Story of Fiber - East meets west through cotton - :
Land of Izumo,Tatara Chronicle ～A Thousand Years of Iron～ :
Living with Whales :
Masuda glows with the brightness of the Age of Regional Revitalization :
Merchant Ships Carrying Goods, Culture, and Big Dreams :
Mitake Shosenkyo Gorge, the Source of Koshu's Craftsmanship — Faith, Skills and Advanced Technology Led by the Crystal's Pulse :
Mt. Mitoku and Misasa Onsen: Thrills and Spills - An Exciting Climb and Healing Hot Springs- :
No Landslide Anymore! Crossing ‘Kamenose',the heart of the ancient Tatsuta Kodo :
Okayama, the birthplace of the Legend of Momotaro, a piece of Japan Heritage-A tale of ogre conquest handed down through ancient Kibi heritage- :
Preserving the Mountain Forests of the Kiso Region :
Reki-Manzan Takaosan – The Story of Mulberry city Woven by Locals' Prayers - :
Saiku: The Palace of Saio - the Imperial Princess Prays :
Shinobi-no-Sato Iga and Koka – Exploring the Birthplace of the Real Ninja :
Six Ancient Kilns - Ceramics Born and Raised in Japan - :
The birthplace of Shugendo, a tradition passed down through generations of believers and villagers :
The Border Islands ~ A 2300-year story of trade, cultural interaction, and conflict.~ :
The Canal to the Future ~ Koriyama/Inawashiro: In the footsteps of the pioneers ~ :
The down of Japan～woman in the Asuka Period～ :
The Geiyo Islands, home to “JAPAN’S GREATEST CORSAIR” reviving the memory of the Murakami KAIZOKU :
The Intricate World of Indigo Shibori Tie-Dyeing :
The Lake Biwa Canal: The Canal of Hope Connecting Kyoto and Otsu― Walk and boat along the canal to experience a day in the Meiji Era :
The Oldest National Highway: A 1,400-Year Legacy of History - Takenouchi Kaido & Yokooji (Daido) - :
The Prehistoric Burial Mounds of Miyazaki :
The Railway That Crossed the Sea~The Railway of Miracle and Trajectory that Connected with the World~ :
The Stone Working Skills of Fukui - Building Blocks of History :
The Story of Komatsu's Gems & Stones - A Heritage of Stone Polished by the Flow of Time :
The Story of MICHINOKU GOLD -Zipang,the Land of Gold:Tracing the Origins of Japanese Gold- :
THE STORY OF THE LORD AND HIS CITIZENS WHO TURNED A CRISIS INTO A GREAT OPPORTUNITY :
Tracing the History of a Medieval Rural Landscape :
Treasure House of Scenic Beauty Wakanoura :
Tsuwano: Then and Now: A Walk through the Hyakkeizu :
Ultimate Snow Country Tokamachi - The True Story! A Story of a heavy snowfall :
Underground Adventure ～Utsunomiya,Home of Oya Stone～ :
Yaji and Kita’s journey through Sunshu, gave rise to the first travel boom in Japan :
”Kunisaki” -where Oni and Buddhas coexist as one :
| Booth No | Y-30 |
|---|---|
| Area | Travel-related companies（Inbound to JAPAN） |
| Official site | https://en.kitamae-bune.com/ |
| SNS Links |     |
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