I am a 78 years old Japanese model ship building enthusiast.

[shota70]

Thank you for your post.
I am glad that you have an interest in Japan.
However, nowadays Japan is overflowing with foreign tourists, and places like Kyoto and Nara have lost much of their old, charming atmosphere.
If you visit Japan again, I would recommend exploring other areas rather than Kyoto or Nara, where many visitors with poor manners are present.


I understand that Ships of Scale is a community of sailing ship model enthusiasts.
Therefore, if you would like to see historical Japanese sailing ships, the Hakusan Maru, which I introduced previously, is in the best condition for viewing.
Also, the stone Buddha statues are quite interesting.

Best regards.

The Usuki Stone Buddhas are the most famous rock-carved Buddhas in Japan.
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/臼杵磨崖仏

https://sekibutsu.com/sekibutsu/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/furuzono_01.jpg

https://sekibutsu.com/about

Kumano-magaibutsu
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/熊野磨崖仏
https://www.tabirai.net/sightseeing/column/0006901.aspx

oonodera-magaibutsu
https://www.onestory-media.jp/post/?id=1935

大野寺（おおのでら）弥勒磨崖仏

kasagidera-magaibutsu
https://youtube.kasagidera.net/kokuuzouishi/

笠置寺について – 笠置寺　巨石と雲海の山

Dear Masaaki Hikosawa,
Thank you very much for the recommendations.
I find Japan, Japanese culture and its people very interesting of recognition, study and appreciation.
Any additional destinations and recommendations, even outside the main island / Onsho, are welcome.

 

[Masaaki Hikosawa]

Dear all,

Thank you very much for the many emails I have received from you and for your interest in my post.
However, I am a little tired today, so I will just briefly share a few URL.
Please take a look if you are interested.

The first URL is a collection of sailing ship models at a shrine in my hometown.
Just like the Catalonian ship dedicated at a church in Barcelona, Spain,
in Japan too, sailing ship models and paintings of ships were dedicated at shrines to pray for safe voyages.

The other links are explanatory materials about sailing ships.
Although they are all in Japanese, translation is now quite convenient,
so please feel free to translate them yourselves, including the content on the pages.

Regarding the video of Hakusan-maru, please pay special attention to the stern structure and the rudder.

I also attached a URL about “oni” (demons), which is the source material for my avatar.

Best regards.


https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/208020

https://www.kitamae-bune.com/

https://www.kitamae-bune.com/study/study/

https://kitamae-bune-db.com/db/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/新潟市_06_大船絵馬.jpg

https://www.sciencemuseum.jp/img/facility/exhibition/sec04_img03_01.jpg

https://www.city.oga.akita.jp/

‘namahage’ 1.Meeting the Namahage | なんも大学

One of Akita’s typical traditions is the ‘namahage’, a ritual event handed down and enacted every year in Oga City. Menacing ogres come to people’s houses, shouting angrily, “Are there any crybaby children here?” It’s a powerful image, but in fact this is what is called ‘namahage’. However...

nanmoda.jp

 

[richie incident]

Dear Masaaki Hikosawa. I wish you good health. Your models have the best quality
This is the first message from me to You.
I am also interested in the history of the Japanese navy.
Today, there is a lot of literature and drawings on Japanese WW2 ships (Advanced drawings could once be ordered from Miyukikai).
Can also find something about ships from the period 1890-1905, since most of them were built in Europe.

However, the history of the pre-dreadnought era of 1905-1918 remains a dark spot, despite the presence of a large number of architecturally beautiful ships (such as Kawachi, Satsuma, Katori, Tsukuba, Ibuki classes, etc.)
Can you recommend any material on this topic? Sometimes it seems that this time is not studied in Japan itself.

Here is a model of the cruiser Noshiro built by me according to the drawings of Miyukikai

 

[Masaaki Hikosawa]

Richie incident san

Thank you for your post.
Your model is truly an excellent piece of work!

Unfortunately, I build sailing ship models, so I don’t have much knowledge about modern ships.
Also, I’m not familiar with the organization you mentioned called “Miyuki-kai.” If you could share a URL, I could look it up.
For reference, I’m attaching a URL with drawings and another one for a Russian submarine.

Best regards.

https://www.bunsei.co.jp/old-book/ctg-03/gunkan/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://ysmc1978.com/exhibition/exModel.php?n=93457608

 

[richie incident]

Also, I’m not familiar with the organization you mentioned called “Miyuki-kai.” If you could share a URL, I could look it up.

It's here http://miyukikai.org/ .
In 2011, when the tsunami happened, it was reported that the entire archive of the publishing house was lost due to the sea wave. The author himself, Mr. Haruo Takami, stopped his activity and later died in old age. In Russia, we affectionately called him "Grandfather", since his activities began back in 1961.
However, Mr. Takami did not publish anything about the ships of the period 1905-1918.

For reference, I’m attaching a URL with drawings and another one for a Russian submarine.

This submarine has a very funny story. It was built in 1724 and was called "The Secret Ship". After several tests, the Tsar ordered it to be taken out and kept in a museum.
Thanks for your help. I am very glad to communicate with you.

 

[Masaaki Hikosawa]

Richie incident san

Thank you very much for sending me the URL of Miyuki-kai”深雪会”.
I must admit I don’t know much about this organization.
As for the Russian submarine, one of the members of The Rope made a kit of it.
He is turning 95 this year.
Since documentation is scarce, I was surprised to learn that such a submarine was said to have been put into practical use as early as the 17th century.
To my knowledge, the only fully developed submarine was built in Spain in 1859.
The forum where I’m posting is focused on building wooden ships.
Therefore, I believe that the fact that such a submarine was supposedly built in Russia 400 years ago will attract a great deal of interest from the members of Ships of Scale.
Best regards.

33-44

第33回帆船模型展-4

33-38 ダウ Dhows Ship 年代： 16世紀 船籍： アフリカ、中近東 縮尺： 1/50 スクラッチビルト 製作者： 肥田 純 Jun Hida 製作期間： 6ヶ月 ペルシャ湾、紅海、インド洋沿岸を航行する木造船を総称してダウと言い、地域・形状により種々の名称がある｡8世紀頃から交易船として登場し、現代でも使われている。ジオラマとしては山上のらくだの隊列との遠近感の表現と、海面の表現に苦労した。この情景は16世紀頃の、現代で言えばイエーメンあたりの船着き場を想定している。

www.theropetokyo.org

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ictíneo_I?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://travelinginspain.com/ictineo/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/hist...red-submarine-8718089/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://www.amusingplanet.com/2016/...-was-worlds-first.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://www.rbth.com/history/333406-first-russian-submarine?utm_source=chatgpt.com

 

[Masaaki Hikosawa]

Dear All,

I have a suggestion for you.
It is a technique of representing the shape of a sailing ship’s sails using transparent threads, without actually setting the sails.
By doing this, you can express the complexity of the rigging—the ropes used to operate the sails.

I introduced this technique at The Rope exhibition, but unfortunately, I have yet to see any examples created using this method.

If you are interested, please give it a try. I’m sure you will find it fascinating.

Incidentally, the inspiration for this idea came from a photograph of an 18th-century Italian anatomical specimen, in which human skeletons were fitted with blood vessels.
(I will not show the actual specimen as it is quite unsettling.)

Below are some books that I used as references.

Rigging Period Fore-and-Aft Craft CHATAM PUBLISHING
Rigging PERIOD SHIP MODELS CHATAM PUBLISHING
https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/Lennarth-Petersson/dp/1861762372
https://www.amazon.co.jp/Rigging-Period-Models-Step-step/dp/1861760612

Thank you for your attention.

 

[Namabiiru]

Hikosawa-san,
Thank you for sharing your techniques. I want to try something like this on my Fair American build…if I ever manage to get to the rigging

 

[Masaaki Hikosawa]

Hikosawa-san,
Thank you for sharing your techniques. I want to try something like this on my Fair American build…if I ever manage to get to the rigging

Namabiiru san​

Thank you for your reply.
I am looking forward to seeing your Fair American.
Please note that the transparent ropes are only for representing the outline of the sails; for the rigging, please use real ropes.
Best regards.