← Explore on the interactive map

Japanese Envoy-to-Tang Style Seagoing Ship

Type Object Region Asia Time 630–1400

Envoy-to-Tang style ships were ocean-going sailing vessels used by Japan on missions to Tang China in the 7th–9th centuries, typically four-sailed an…

Timeline

  1. 630–753Naniwa · KinkiIn the 7th–8th centuries Japan built large envoy ships combining continental hull forms with native techniques, crossing from Naniwa through the Seto Inland Sea to Kyushu and on to Tang China; they were the core vehicle of Nara-period foreign exchange.
  2. 894–1185Seto Inland Sea · Seto Inland SeaAfter Sugawara no Michizane recommended ending the missions in 894, no further envoys were sent, but the multi-sailed deep-hulled structure and sailing experience of the envoy ships persisted in Seto Inland Sea and Kyushu shipbuilding traditions.
  3. 1311–1320Hakata · KyushuAlthough no envoy voyages took place in 1311–1320, trading ships at Hakata, Sakai and other ports still carried on the multi-sailed structure and ocean-going experience of the envoy style, sustaining merchant voyages to Goryeo and Southern Song.
  4. 1333–1400Sakai · KinkiTrading ships used by merchants of Sakai and Hakata in the Muromachi period continued the envoy-style tradition in hull and rigging, further evolving to suit East Asian coastal commerce.

Sources