Released in April 2010
Vessels have a long and rich history as a vital means of transportation. As more and more people needed to travel across seas and other large bodies of water, ferries were developed as a way to transport people and goods instead of relying on bridges and overland routes.
The Era of Cargo and Passenger Ships |
Meiji Era (1868-)WWⅡ Ocean transport has been active in the Seto Inland Sea since ancient times. Many shipowners got their start during the Meiji Era (1868-1912), transporting cargo and passengers to and from its surrounding ports by steamship. Osaka Shosen Kaisha (OSK), the forerunner of MOL, was founded in 1884 by 55 shipowners around Seto Inland Sea, who pooled their investments in 93 vessels. OSK expanded its route networks mainly in Seto Inland. It launched the state-of-the-art cargo and passenger ships one after another in successive periods, growing its Seto Inland route (Hanshin-Beppu) as one of the best sightseeing route in Japan. After that, operation of the route was transferred to Kansan Kisen (established in 1942), which operated four frequencies a day in 1960s and grew as a symbolic presence of honeymoon trip. Bustling Cargo and Passenger Traffic in the Seto Inland Sea in the Prewar Years
This tradition was succeeded after the WWⅡ. Many passenger ships such as the Kurenai Maru (third generation) and Kohaku Maru started service in 1960s to meet growing demand for honeymoon trips on the Hanshin-Beppu route. |
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The Dramatic Emergence of the Ferry |
After WWⅡ Ferries for automobiles and people initially appeared as alternatives to bridges. Japan's first ferries were reportedly two ships linking two ports in what is now Kita-kyushu City in 1934. The route covered all of 400 meters. In the early days, short-distance service was the mainstay of ferry operation. In the late 1960s, as automobile cargo transport grew and the nation's motorization progressed, long-distance ferry routes were opened one after another in the Seto Inland Sea and other areas nationwide. These long-distance routes not only bypassed overland cargo transport, but also created a new market for pleasure travel by luxurious ferries. However, the ferry business faced difficult conditions as the "Oil Shocks" of 1973 and 1980 sent bunker oil prices skyrocketing and slowed the overall economy. As a result, the ferry industry saw consolidation and service cutbacks. However, in a bid to boost efficiency, ferry operators launched ever-larger vessels and diversified route operations, adding passenger conveniences and providing private staterooms. |