Shōgunke Gozabune were state yachts belonging to the Shōgun. Esssentially warships and war boats, brightly painted and ornately decorated. Gozabune were used by daimyo as symbols of status and to ferry them or their representatives on official business.

One of many images from Mr. Nakayama’s blog site.

Those ship modelers who are interested in early Japanese warships should take a look at these as examples. These represent the smaller types of boats used in wartime.

I am intrigued by Mr. Nakayama’s models, and these in particular. As a student of Japanese traditional boats, his models are a treasure trove to me. The photos on this site are a wonderful find and show much detail about these boats. But, they also show me how much I don’t know.