The second installment of a 4-part article on an examination of traditional Japanese boats through famous woodblock prints is in the September 2016 issue of the French journal Neptunia. The journal is a quarterly publication of the Association of the Friends of the National Maritime Museum of France.

I have yet to see the issue, but I have the March 2016 issue, which contains the first article. Being that it is an examination of the boats through art, the article is filled with some wonderful photos of Japanese woodblock prints. And, while my ability to read French is limited, a scan through optical character recognition software (free online), and Google Translate, make it possible to understand the majority of the text.

I’ve been in pretty close email contact with the author, Mr. Jean Pierre Mélis, since late Summer, and we have been exchanging and discussion the subject of Japanese watercraft pretty regularly. I highly recommend taking a look at the articles if you can. Check your libraries for availability or purchase single issues directly from the Association here. Ω