Ancient ships of Japan, which are little known outside of Japan, are presented
based on the studies of past researchers, as well as a comprehensive analysis of
archaeological remains. The process of development from logboats to extended
logboats or semibuilt-up ships, and finally to built-up ships is traced. This
study covers evidence from the Early Jomon period (4000 - 3000 B.C.E.) through
the Kofun period (300 - 700 C.E.). A large number of logboat remains date to the
Jomon period, and it is these logboats which become the foundation of later
Japanese ships. The number of ship remains from the Yayoi period diminishes.
Therefore, iconographic evidence, mainly clay ship figures and drawings, are
used in order to reconstruct the ships from that time. This thesis is an account
of what is presently known about the ancient watercraft of Japan, based on the
existing ethnographic literature, the archaeological record, and iconographic
sources.