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The ''Shôheimaru'' was a Western-style tall-masted sailing ship, constructed at the orders of [[Shimazu Nariakira]], lord of [[Satsuma han]], in [[1853]]-[[1854]]. It was 15 ''ken'' (approx. 27-31 meters) long, four ''ken'' one ''shaku'' (7.5 m) wide, and three ''ken'' (5.5 m) deep,  with three masts, ten cannon, two mortars, four turret guns, and a displacement of 370 tons, and bore a crew of forty.

The ''Shôheimaru'' was a Western-style tall-masted sailing ship, constructed at the orders of [[Shimazu Nariakira]], lord of [[Satsuma han]], in [[1853]]-[[1854]]. It was 15 ''ken'' (approx. 27-31 meters) long, four ''ken'' one ''shaku'' (7.5 m) wide, and three ''ken'' (5.5 m) deep,  with three masts, ten cannon, two mortars, four turret guns, and a displacement of 370 tons, and bore a crew of forty.

The project got its start when Shimazu Nariakira, in response to pressures from Western powers, ordered his retainer Tahara Naosuke to research Dutch shipbuilding texts. Construction began in 1853/5, one month before [[Commodore Perry]] arrived at [[Uraga]] Bay. The ship was initially called ''Ryûkyû taihôsen'' ([[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû]] cannon ship), but by the time it was completed in 1854/12, after 19 months of trial and error, it was renamed ''Shôheimaru'' (昇平丸).

The project got its start when Shimazu Nariakira, in response to pressures from Western powers, ordered his retainer Tahara Naosuke to research Dutch shipbuilding texts. Construction began in 1853/5 at Setomura on [[Sakurajima]], one month before [[Commodore Perry]] arrived at [[Uraga]] Bay. The ship was initially called ''Ryûkyû taihôsen'' ([[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû]] cannon ship), but by the time it was completed in 1854/12, after 19 months of trial and error, it was renamed ''Shôheimaru'' (昇平丸).

The ''Shôheimaru'' sailed to [[Edo]] in [[1855]] without incident, flying the ''[[Japanese flag|Hinomaru]]'' flag Nariakira devised (which would later become the national flag). Later that year, in the 8th month, the ship was renamed again, from 昇平丸 to 昌平丸 (both pronounced ''Shôheimaru''), and was given as a gift from Nariakira to the [[Tokugawa shogunate]]. [[Katsu Kaishu|Katsu Kaishû]] sailed the ''Shôheimaru'' back to [[Nagasaki]] the following month.

The ''Shôheimaru'' sailed to [[Edo]] in [[1855]] without incident, in only 26 days, against the wind, and as the first ship flying the ''[[Japanese flag|Hinomaru]]'' flag Nariakira devised (which would later become the national flag). Later that year, in the 8th month, the ship was renamed again, from 昇平丸 to 昌平丸 (both pronounced ''Shôheimaru''), and it was given as a gift from Nariakira to the [[Tokugawa shogunate]]. [[Katsu Kaishu|Katsu Kaishû]] sailed the ''Shôheimaru'' back to [[Nagasaki]] the following month.

In [[1869]], following the fall of the shogunate, the ''Shôheimaru'', along with the ''[[Kanrin Maru]]'', among other ships, were used to ship development materials to & from [[Hokkaido]].

In [[1869]], following the fall of the shogunate, the ''Shôheimaru'', along with the ''[[Kanrin Maru]]'', among other ships, were used to ship development materials to & from [[Hokkaido]].