Study on development of Lake Biwa shipping in the early modern period

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K03052
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Japanese history
• Research Institution: The University of Shiga Prefecture
• Principal Investigator: Azuma Sachiyo 滋賀県立大学, 人間文化学部, 教授 (10315921)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 日本史 / 近世史 / 流通史 / 琵琶湖 / 舟運

Outline of Final Research Achievements

I grappled with study of development of the Lake Biwa water transportation after the mid-18th century.
The first result is to have clarified the time when the decline of the water transportation began.In addition,I clarified its reason.Unlike a common view, the decline of the water transportation was the mid-18th century.This time was recession nationwide, and, as for the first of the reason, direct shipping did cargo to Osaka for evasion of cost a shipper. As for the second, the acquisition of the ship material became difficult by the remarkable rise of the price and, as a result, was that the number of the ships decreased, and the scale of the ship reduced.
The second result is to have been able to clarify the difference in recognition about water transportation between some interested parties.

Free Research Field

日本史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、18世紀中期以降の琵琶湖舟運の展開について、地域に残る古文書の分析を通して検討した。一つ目の大きな成果は、通説の見直しができたことである。従来、琵琶湖舟運の衰退は西廻り航路の成立が招いたとされたが、検討の結果、浦々が不況を訴える時期は、それから１世紀を経た後であることがわかった。また、その衰退が、当該期の全国経済の動向と密接に連動していることも明らかとなった。二つ目の成果は、舟運にかかわる社会集団の動向を明らかにすることができたことである。