The 4th workshop of History Project

Date：15.December.2004　18:00-20:30
Place：Main Meeting Room, 7F, '80 Building, Ichigaya Campus, Hosei Univ.

Narrow Boat Trip -Waterfront Restoration in Canals of Britain--　
Eriko Takezawa
In the 17th century, river development for shipment had begun in Britain and canals were constructed linking rivers. In the period after the industrial revolution, many canals were built one after another and even the word, "canal mania" came into wide use. These canals provided a basis for the development of the city. I will consider the case of Britain, where the urban renovation has been realized based through waterways.
A narrow boat is 2.1 m width boat; the width is decided by locks (water gate) put on narrow canals. At present, the total length of navigable canals in Britain is about 3220 km and the development is going on. Locks are fixed on the point with difference of elevation, and moving according to the water level. The motive energy was provided by horses, donkeys or human power. The road for horses was prepared along canals, which is called "towpath" and currently used as the promenade. At that time, the boat would run at 3-5 km, and now at about 8km with the motor.
The Kennet and Avon Canal, built in 1810 and linking London and Bristol, has a length about 135 km with flight of 104 locks. The canal has been linking old market towns and transporting rural products, industrial commodities, and heavy or broken materials that could not be loaded on a wagon. The canal toll was decided by the weight. The completion of the Great Western Railway in 1841 triggered the decline of the canal. Canals were suffered from various problems such as insufficient speed or water supply; and at last, all businesses of the canal had been sold to the Great Western Railway in 1852.
In 1948, all canals were nationalized and in danger of closing; however, volunteers have started renovation movements since 1955. While in Japan, reclamation of canals and construction of the expressway over the canal were well underway at that time. The Kennet and Avon Canal Trust, organized in 1962, succeeded to reopen the canal as recreation area in 1990. The 60s is the period of active volunteering efforts; the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust, and British Waterways (BWW) organized in 1968, cooperated in the open of towpath of 1978; in 1983, the abandoned Castlefield in Manchester was restored as the first urban monument park in Britain.
The list of the charm of narrow boat trip goes on and on; peaceful scenery, walking speed, thrill or sense of adventure, beautiful designs of boats and bridges, recuperative power of nature, advanced as well as human technology, horse-power energy, etc.
Considering the role of canals, not only as the existing infrastructure linking major cities, but also as the communication network, may allow us to develop their full potential.

History of Formation of Fishing Town --Haneda and Omori--
Kyosuke Nanba
I will introduce seven cases of fishing towns (Koshiba, Namamugi, Urayasu, Honshiba, Shinagawa, Omori and Haneda), from the viewpoint of urban structure and relation of right (consciousness). Through these case studies, the following three points will be considered: fishing town-specific structure, sense of land ownership based on the urban structure, and relationship between specific way of fishing (right) and urban formation.
Now we will look at fishing towns of the Edo period. In fishing towns of the period had a clear hierarchy. The eleven towns had been authorized by the government of Edo : "eight fleets of Osai", including Shinagawa, Haneda, Namamugi and major fishing towns Kanasugi and Honshiba, and "Osainoura" including three towns including Tsukudajima. "Tateura" including Urayasu was semi-agricultural and semi-fishing villages, permitted to be engaged in fishery, while "Isotsuki-mura (village)" including Omori was seaside farming villages and prohibited fishery. Fishing places were clearly separated and recognized by extended village lines. The boundary between the shore (iso) and offshore (oki) was decided by tradition in each town.
Omori, without permission of fishery, was engaged in laver industry, becoming one of the major production center of laver. The paddy fields had been developed with canals, so that small ships for laver collecting (Bekabune) could pass, allowing to prosper laver industry in large area. Such Isotsuki-mura was different from fishing towns in the distribution of land register and houses.
Although Haneda had been a semi-agricultuer and semi-fishing village in the Middle Ages, the village was partly permitted to be engaged in fishery as fishing town in the Edo period. Because fishery right was admitted to each divided area, it was impossible to expand the permitted area according to the increase of population. Old maps and drawings in the Showa period show that the reclamation of sea was the solution. The alleyway was extended from the main street toward the seawall, and huts were constructed on the boatslip built over the seawall. When the growth of population led to the expansions of urban area over the seawall, it was reconstructed accordingly and flood control measures were taken each time of reconstruction. Then, the former seawall street came to a new main street. This process might be repeated, extending the reclamation area. The main streets formed in parallel to the waterfront, and alleyways crossing at right angles, might compose urban structure specific for the fishing-village.
Such structure can be seen in sense of right; the boundary of fishing place was vertical to the coast because the border line was decided in the Edo period, with village line extended over the sea as describe above; the boundary of town association was also vertical to the coast. Therefore, it can be assumed that the relationship between the main street and alleyways depends on sense of right.
The form of development found in Haneda, represents one of the types of urban formation, unique to the fishing village.