Changes

[[File:Shinkosen.JPG|right|thumb|320px|A model of a Ryukyuan [[tribute]] ship, on display at the Okinawa Prefectural Museum]]

[[File:Shinkosen.JPG|right|thumb|320px|A model of a Ryukyuan [[tribute]] ship, on display at the Okinawa Prefectural Museum]]

*''Other Names'': 進貢船 ''(shinkou sen)'', 接貢船 ''(sekkou sen)''

*''Other Names'': 進貢船 ''(shinkou sen)'', 接貢船 ''(sekkou sen)''

*''Japanese'': 楷船 ''(kaisen)''

*''Japanese/Okinawan'': 楷船 ''(kaisen / keeshin)''

''Kaisen'' were a type of [[Kingdom of Ryukyu|Ryukyuan]] ship used to carry official missions to [[Kagoshima]]. They were typically ships that had previously been used to sail to China, as either ''shinkôsen'' ("[[tribute]] ships" carrying official [[Ryukyuan tribute missions to China]]) or ''sekkôsen'' (ships which went to bring Ryukyuan officials back from China, often transporting trade goods as well); after three or so such journeys to China, a ship would often be stripped of its weaponry, and thus transformed into a ''kaisen'', to be used for journeys to Kagoshima.<ref>"[http://ryukyushimpo.jp/okinawa-dic/prentry-40868.html Kaisen]," Okinawa Compact Encyclopedia, Ryukyu Shimpo, 1 March 2003.</ref> While extremely similar to Chinese ships of the time in their style and form, these Ryukyuan ships were not identical to Chinese styles, and bore distinctly Ryukyuan features which set them apart.

''Kaisen'', or ''keeshin'' in [[Okinawan language|Okinawan]],<ref>[http://ryukyu-lang.lib.u-ryukyu.ac.jp/srnh/details.php?ID=SN50660 首里・那覇方言音声データベース Shuri-Naha Dialect Dictionary].</ref> were a type of [[Kingdom of Ryukyu|Ryukyuan]] ship used to carry official missions to [[Kagoshima]]. They were typically ships that had previously been used to sail to China, as either ''shinkôsen'' ("[[tribute]] ships" carrying official [[Ryukyuan tribute missions to China]]) or ''sekkôsen'' (ships which went to bring Ryukyuan officials back from China, often transporting trade goods as well); after three or so such journeys to China, a ship would often be stripped of its weaponry, and thus transformed into a ''kaisen'', to be used for journeys to Kagoshima.<ref>"[http://ryukyushimpo.jp/okinawa-dic/prentry-40868.html Kaisen]," Okinawa Compact Encyclopedia, Ryukyu Shimpo, 1 March 2003.</ref> While extremely similar to Chinese ships of the time in their style and form, these Ryukyuan ships were not identical to Chinese styles, and bore distinctly Ryukyuan features which set them apart.

While ''shinkôsen'' carried official missions to China roughly once every other year, ''sekkôsen'' traveled to [[Fuzhou]] in the alternating years, ostensibly to bring the previous year's mission back home; however, both ''shinkôsen'' and ''sekkôsen'' also carried considerable amounts of tribute/trade goods, playing a vital role in the flow of [[silver]], herbal medicines, a variety of luxury goods, and other products, between China, Ryûkyû, and Japan.

While ''shinkôsen'' carried official missions to China roughly once every other year, ''sekkôsen'' traveled to [[Fuzhou]] in the alternating years, ostensibly to bring the previous year's mission back home; however, both ''shinkôsen'' and ''sekkôsen'' also carried considerable amounts of tribute/trade goods, playing a vital role in the flow of [[silver]], herbal medicines, a variety of luxury goods, and other products, between China, Ryûkyû, and Japan.