Kawasaki Boats
Kawasaki boats (Kawasaki-sen) were sturdy wooden sailing trawlers with oars that could handle rough seas. They were named after the village of Kawasaki in Fukui, where the boats were first built, and were used along the Sea of Japan from Fukui to Hokkaido from the late Edo period (1603–1867) until 1945. During the Meiji era (1868–1912), Kawasaki boats were mainly used for offshore cod fishing, as well as for trade and transporting settlers between Honshu and Hokkaido.
The boat on display at the Kushiro City Museum is smaller than actual size. It was built by Hiraiwa Hajime, a local shipwright, for the opening of the museum in 1983.