maritime merchant; shipping agency
Historical term for a wholesaler or agent who arranged coastal shipping during the Edo and Meiji periods. Often handled cargo and logistics for daimyo domains or merchants.
During the Edo period, maritime merchants handled the transport of goods at ports across Japan.
This museum displays ledgers and ship models from a former shipping agency.
Standard kanji spelling; 廻船 is the older form for 'coasting vessel'.
Variant using the simplified 回; both spellings are seen in historical contexts.
Compound of 廻船 (kaisen, 'coasting vessel') and 問屋 (ton'ya, 'wholesaler'). The term dates from the Edo period when such merchants played a key role in domestic coastal logistics.