History of the Sanjukkokubune Boats
The sanjukkokubune is a type of flat-bottomed boat that was traditionally used to carry rice, sake, and other goods along the rivers that flow from Kyoto to Fushimi and Osaka. Over its long history, Fushimi grew to be a major inland port, and key to its growth was the transportation of goods across a network of waterways in which the sanjukkokubune played a key role. The name of the boat refers to the amount that it could carry: 30 koku (sanjukkoku), or approximately 4,500 kilograms. During the period of its usage, a koku was defined as the amount of rice one person could eat in a year—or drink, in the case of sake—and was used when levying taxes, which were almost always paid in rice.
Smaller, lighter boats plied the shallow Takasegawa River Canal running between Fushimi and Kyoto’s Nijō district, and the heavier sanjukkokubune traveled up and down the Ujigawa and Yodogawa rivers to Osaka. The key point of cargo exchange was Fushimi. By the time of the Kyoto Exposition in 1872, some of the boats were running so quickly between ports that they earned the name hayafune, literally “speed boats.” At their peak, 320 Yodogawa River hayafune made the round trip from Fushimi to Osaka every day and through the night. The advent of railroads saw their eventual decline, and the last boats were retired in 1920 after roughly 300 years of operation. Since 1998, motor-powered replicas have taken tourists around the waterways of Fushimi. The boats start at the pier outside the entrance to Chōkenji Temple or in front of the Teradaya Inn landing. The tours are especially popular during the cherry-blossom season in spring.