A merchant ship that once traveled across the Sea of Japan

Japan is surrounded on all four sides by the sea. Throughout its history, it has not had a world-renowned explorer, like Columbus or Magellan. However, from the mid-Edo to the Meiji period (from the middle to the end of the 18th century), some people dreamed of making a tremendous fortune and set sail across the Sea of Japan.
The ships they operated are known as Kitamaebune (northern-bound ships).
The Kitamaebune ships traveled across the Sea of Japan between Osaka and Hokkaido. They purchased a wide variety of goods at their ports of call and made enormous profits by selling them at other ports. Their courage in navigating the stormy waves of the Sea of ​​Japan, maneuvering skills, and business wisdom meant ordinary people could acquire enormous wealth at the time of a strict social class system.
The shores of the Sea of Japan contain countless hamlets where the shipowners and sailors lived, as well as ports at which the Kitamaebune ships called. They are designated Japan Heritage, and one such town is Kaga Hashitate. The Kitamaebune Ship Museum has a Kitamaebune owner’s mansion that is open to the public, which remains the same as when it was constructed.