THE HISTORY OF
SHIPS-IN-BOTTLES IN JAPAN
the late Mr.JUZO OKADA
( former president of The Japanese Ships-In-Bottles Association )
As you know, our country is an island surrounded by the sea. Building of ships
and navigation have been favourably improved as times go by accordingly. China
being our neighbouring country, Chinese ships named junk gave much influence on
the building of Japanese ones as well as our primitive prototype ship "WA-SEN"
did. 'WA' is Japanese word which means Japan and 'SEN' means ship in classics
respectively.(WA-SEN = Japanese junk)
From the 16th to the beginning of 17th century,Wa-sen played an active
role. Wa-sen, by three masts, of 45.5 meters long, 8.2 meters wide and 300 crew
used to sail with a seasonal wind not only China but also to Thailand , the
Philippines, Java Islands and engaged in trade.
The biggest Wa-sen was the 'Ataka Maru' made for shogunates. It was
constructed in 1631 being 50.9 meters long, 50.9 meters wide and 3.3 meters deep
with one mast and 200 oars. But this ship didn't suit for practical use,
because a gorgeous palace for a Shogun had to have been on the deck and caused
the ship very heavy.
In 1639 the then ruler prohibited from making trade with foreign country
except Dutch and China. Since then for about 230 years Japan was calm and
groomy in isolation. During those years, construction of big ships were not
allowed and the number of mast and sail of a ship were strictly limited to be
one respectively although temporary masts and sails were permitted. Crew in
those days got used to sailing only along sea coast so that they were scared to
do in the open ocean. The typical Wa-sen at that time was called 'Sengokubune'
and it had only 24.3 meters long and 7.3 meters wide.
In 1868 Japan opened her door towards foreign countries when the era of
outer world had already entered into that of steamships. Therefore it was
urgent and necessary fo the Japanese Goverment and people to catch up with
the times swiftly.
The importance of transportation by sea had ever been recognized originally as
Japan is an island country. But in order to build a modern steamship from an
idea of Wa-sen having no keel and rib-frames, many new studies had to be required.
A lot of the youth were chosen one after another to be trained and sailed out in
the world ocean. Their great effort laid the foundation of a maritime nation of
Japan.
Some of these youth in abroad had chances to see ships-in-bottles. A few of
them took a great interest with those works. These works of rarity which were
built by Western sailors tickled their fancy to do them by themselves. But they
never tried to obtain any instructors because they might have been self-confident
with their own skillfulness and contrivances.
They started to build ships-in-bottles when they came back their ships on board.
What they had gone with to build this art by themselves without any instructors
could attribute primarily to form peculiarities of ships-in-bottles in Japan.
Lack of their knowledge about Western styles but of their mere impression
let them go to make their original works. Naturally they didn't see the same
work at the same time. Some were strongly impressed by numbers of mast and the
other by ropes.
But all of them were impressed with how the sailing vessels were beutiful and
wonder if they could study the reason why all these ships they saw were facing
their bows towards necks of the bottles.
Those pioneers of this art in Japan produced various types of works by
their first impression over skills and tastes. They considered those ships-in-bottles
as one of smart Western ornaments for interior decoration and gave
priority to the beauty and the miracles how big works could be elaborated
through a narrow bottle neck. Some built the beautiful sails with which they
found the charm of the whole ship. The others who were impressed by the number
of ropes first decorated the ship with colorful ropes painted stars and
flowers. Thus, colourful sail ships a kind of Western style using gold and
silver colours were built in the bottle by their own building way.
Making "ships-in-bottles" was considered a new hobby as seamen could do on board.
Then it was spread from a seaman to another one ship to ship successively.
Since those pioneers were the specially selected people with much self
conceit they did'nt build any of ships-in-bottles for business. They
concentrated only on building ships which would be more superb than any works
of their companions and added ingenuity one by one. Acordingly they couldn't
build many works.
Upon returning their home port they sometimes presented their dearest friends
those works and they were kept as a treasure which seldom exposes to the public.
People in those days scarcely knew this art.
Before long almost those builders and works were vanished during the World
War U. After the war Japanese ships began to revive in sailing again.
The ships-in-bottles production became easier with the up-to-date equipment, as
the time went on, and seamen on board could have more lesure time than ever.
Old seamen and the direct followers have brought this art to survive again.
In 1976, Sailing Ships Parade in New York were held in U.S.A. From Japan
the Nippon Maru participated in it. With this event sailing ships boom came upon
and enthusiasm for the sailing ships among people highly went up in Japan.
Hobby shops and bookstores on street began to flood with various model sail ship
kits, books, paintings, pictures and literatures. In a specialty store some
kinds of manuals imported from abroad became available, too. Japanese
traveling overseas also were getting popular.
Passing through the times of pioneers and followers with loyalty, Ships-in-Bottles
in Japan were succeeded to the third generation with which this hobby
was emancipated from the hands of seamen.
The ships-in-bottles building which started once as seamen's pastime are
now sublimating to a fine art exactly in endeavering by enthusiastic builders
in various countries.
This old but new art has much possibility to be explored to unknown and wide
branches yet. We believe that it shall be of much significance to exhibit our
works on the Internet for future of the ships-in-bottles.
Most of Japanese works have ships faced to the bottom of the bottle. I think
the difference between Westerners and Japanese may be caused by that of working
motion. For example, a Western saw works when pushed while Japanese one can work
when pulled. So is the same with a plane also. For Japanese pioneers of this
art, it might be easy to assemble ships to make its bow to the bottom, otherwise
the opposite. In addition to this, they had no intention to imitate the
construction of sailing ships exactly. Ropes and sails were rigged esthetically
but purposelessly.
They didn't have any necessity at all to let the bow of ships face to the neck
of the bottles because they have already created their own ways of the building
ships.