Mr. Yukio Nakayama, who’s 1/70-scale wasen model work has been displayed many times in the Tokyo area, including he Maritime Science Museum, just posted these photos of wasen of the lower Tone River system, the large waterway of the Kantō region (Tokyo vicinity). Most of these, perhaps all, but I don’t know for sure, are takasebune, or river transports used to ferry goods and sometimes people along inland waterways.

Takasebune are generally characterized by a flat or near flat bow with no cut-water, and they commonly are flat-sided, often having only one wide hull plank on each side, though larger boats normally have a rubbing strake fastened at the top edge of the hull.

I am always inspired by Nakayama-san’s work. I hope I can manage to build a larger takasebune model in the near future.