Old-days Shipbuilding Dialogue in Osaka"

  Reading the magazine “Osaka Port” (Part7) "Old-days Shipbuilding Dialogue in Osaka"

 In this issue, I would like to focus on the shipbuilding industry in the Port of Osaka during the Meiji period. In 1952, OPPA sponsored a “Shipbuilding Talk” between “Tamekichi Ikeda” (advisor to Nanshin Shipbuilding Corp.), a pioneer shipbuilder in Osaka, and Kaneyoshi Akiyama, then head of the Shipbuilding Department of the Kinki Shipping Bureau, an expert in shipbuilding at the Ministry of Transport. " [Osaka Port No. 008 1952, No. 1, p. 24-28].

The main contents of the dialogue are as follows

[The Beginning of the shipbuilding in Osaka]

    Before 1877, there was no such thing as a shipyard, and there were only three families of shipbuilders: the Mihara, Awa, and Ikeda families. The Ikeda family originally came from Daishoji Temple in Ishikawa and started building Sengoku boats in Osaka. Around 1877, there were about 16 master carpenters who were shipbuilder.

[Osaka's seven beaches] 

    Osaka's shipbuilders operated at seven beaches: Maedajima Beach (now around Kizugawa 1-chome), Terajima Beach (Matsushima-cho 1-2-chome), Enoko-jima Beach, Kourogi-jima Beach (Kawaguchi-cho), Kappajima Beach, and Kamihikiyajima Beach (around Hyakken-bori).

[Around 1885]

     They began to build Western-style ships (sailing ships), but Yamato-ship (Sengoku-ship) were built most at Osaka and sent to Kishu(Wakayama) and Kyushu areas. Yamato-ship's route at that time was called "Kitamae-bune Route", which carried cotton sheep, lacquerware, sake, medicine, etc. from Osaka to Hokkaido, salt from Sakaide, and kelp, salmon, Nishin-kasu (fertilizer for rice), etc. from Hokkaido.

[Repair of ships]

Kizu River was full of repair boats in the fall. Since there was no work during the summer, ship carpenters built bridges. Because of the fire, a ditch was made in the Kizu River and boats were moored there for repairs, but there were about 1,500 to 1,600 Kitamae boats moored there, and it was up to the boatmen to give instructions on repairs.

[Ship Building Business]

 Barges were built around 1887, and iron barges were first built by Osaka Iron Works (the predecessor of Hitachi Zosen) in 1885, followed by Fujinagata around 1897.

Other topics include the apprenticeship system for ship carpenters, the story of a competition among ship carpenters to row a "Dondoko boat " at the Tenjin Festival, the composition of the crew of the Kitamae-ship, the ship launching ceremony, and the relationship between “Funaris-san” and Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine and Awashima Shrine in Kada Wakayama. Finally, he talks about the failure of the barge building in Taiwan's Keelung harbor. After this interview, Mr. Yoshida died of illness, and this book is a valuable testimony of shipbuilding (especially Japanese-style ships) in the Port of Osaka during the Meiji period.

A detailed description of Japanese-style shipbuilding, including old maps, can be found in “NO.361-363 270-Year Business Maruichi Kaiun: Continuity of Non-Continuity”.

   In 1948, there were 30 shipyards for steel ships alone between Naniwa Island and Kizu Kawajiri, accounting for 10-20% of the nation's total for new shipbuilding and repairs, This shows how much the shipbuilding industry contributed to the development of Osaka's port and industry at that time. We recommend that you read it. This volume is available on the Osaka Port Development Association website.

 （Japanese）

情報誌“大阪港”を　読む（その7）「船造り対談」
今回は、大阪港の明治期の造船業について取り上げたいと思います。昭和２７年　振興協会主催で、大阪の船大工の先駆者である“池田為吉翁”（南進造船所相談役）と当時、運輸省の造船エキスパートの近畿海運局船舶部長の秋山兼良氏による“船造り対談”　[大阪港No.008  1952年第１号Ｐ24～28]を紹介します。

以下、対談の主な内容

[大阪における造船の始まり]　明治１０年以前には造船所というものはなく、船大工の頭梁がいて、三原、阿波、池田の３家のみであった。池田家はもともと石川の大聖寺からでて、大阪で千石船を造り始めたのがはじまり。明治１０年ごろには16軒ほどの頭梁がいた。

[大阪の七浜]　大阪の船大工は、前座島浜（木津川1丁目あたり）、寺島浜（松島町１－２丁目）、江之子島浜、蟋子島浜（川口町）、合羽島浜、上引屋島浜（百間堀あたり）の七浜で営んでいた。

[明治18年ごろ]　洋型船（帆船）をつくり始めたが、大和船（千石船）は大阪が一番で、紀州、九州方面に送っていた。また当時の大和船の航路は北前船で、北海道へ、大阪から綿羊、漆器、酒、薬などを、坂出から塩を積んで、北海道からは、昆布、鮭、にしんかす（稲の肥料）などを運んでいた。

[船の修繕] 木津川が秋には修繕船でいっぱいになっていた。夏の間は仕事がないので、船大工は橋をつくっていた。火事がもとで、木津川に掘割をつくり船をいれて修理したが、北前船が1500～1600隻ほど係留され、修繕の指示は船頭まかせであった。

[造船]　艀は明治20年ごろから、また、鉄船は明治18年　大阪鉄工所（日立造船の前身）がはじめてで、その後、藤永田が明治30年頃から造船しはじめた。

その他にも、船大工の徒弟制度の状況や、天神祭りで、船大工仲間で、ドンドコ船を競争で漕いだ話、北前船の乗組員の構成、船の進水式の様子や“船霊さん”と住吉大社、加太の淡島神社の関係など、また最後には、台湾基隆（キールン）港での艀造船での失敗談など当時を振り返って話されている。なお、この対談の後に、吉田翁は病没されており、明治期の大阪港での造船（特に和船）のについての貴重な証言となっている。

和船造りについては、新しいところでは“NO.361～363　２７０年企業　丸一海運～非連続の連続～”にも古地図を交えた詳しい記述があります。

   このような和船造りが大阪の造船業の隆盛のベースとなり、昭和２３年当時、難波島から木津川尻にかけて鋼船のみでも３０の造船所があり、新造、修理でも全国の１～２割を占め、造船の関連産業でも全国の半分を大阪で賄っていたとの資料（日本港湾協会　港湾２５巻４号P6）もあり、いかに造船業が当時、大阪の港と産業の発展に寄与していたかがわかります。ご一読をお勧めします。本編は大阪港振興協会ホームページに掲載されています。