Changes

*''Other Names'': 西廻り航路 ''(nishi mawari kouro)''

*''Other Names'': 西廻り航路 ''(nishi mawari kouro)''

*''Japanese'': 北前船 ''(kitamaebune)''

*''Japanese'': 北前船 ''(kitamaebune)''

These operations took a serious hit in the early Meiji period as [[telegraph]] technology allowed much swifter communications between the cities and the provinces, leading to a collapse of price differentials.<ref>Dusinberre, 34.</ref>

These operations took a serious hit in the early Meiji period as [[telegraph]] technology allowed much swifter communications between the cities and the provinces, leading to a collapse of price differentials.<ref>Dusinberre, 34.</ref>

The ships themselves which sailed these routes ranged in size and style, and included ''[[sengokubune]]'' (ships capable of carrying 1,000 ''[[koku]]'' of rice), as well as ''[[benzaisen]]'' and ''[[donguri-bune]]''. By the 18th century, ''benzaisen'', also known as ''bezaisen'', were the chief type sailing this route. Originally, most ''kitamaebune'' carried roughly 200-500 ''koku'' worth of goods, but by the Meiji period, a class of ships carrying up to 2000 ''koku'' worth of goods came onto the scene. Some ''kitamaebune'' operators were able to invest in these larger [[steamships]], but most were unable to afford such a massive capital investment, and quickly began to lose out to corporations such as [[Mitsubishi]], which came to dominate the shipping industry.<ref>Dusinberre, 34-35.</ref>

The ships themselves which sailed these routes ranged in size and style, and included ''[[sengokubune]]'' (ships capable of carrying 1,000 ''[[koku]]'' of rice), as well as ''[[bezaisen]]'' and ''[[donguri-bune]]''. By the 18th century, ''bezaisen'' were the chief type sailing this route. Originally, most ''kitamaebune'' carried roughly 200-500 ''koku'' worth of goods, but by the Meiji period, a class of ships carrying up to 2000 ''koku'' worth of goods came onto the scene. Some ''kitamaebune'' operators were able to invest in these larger [[steamships]], but most were unable to afford such a massive capital investment, and quickly began to lose out to corporations such as [[Mitsubishi]], which came to dominate the shipping industry.<ref>Dusinberre, 34-35.</ref>

Many of the ships were owned and operated by merchants based in Osaka or Sakai, but many were also owned and operated by individuals based in ports elsewhere along the route, including some from rather small ports. Several domains, including [[Toyama han|Toyama]] and Kaga han, made concerted efforts in the early decades of the 19th century to become prominent regions for the construction of ships which could carry goods along this route.

Many of the ships were owned and operated by merchants based in Osaka or Sakai, but many were also owned and operated by individuals based in ports elsewhere along the route, including some from rather small ports. Several domains, including [[Toyama han|Toyama]] and Kaga han, made concerted efforts in the early decades of the 19th century to become prominent regions for the construction of ships which could carry goods along this route.