Maruko-bune

High school (ages 12+)
Transportation

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/maruko-bune

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the vessel classification?Traditional Japanese wooden river cargo vessel
2. What is the peak operational era?Edo period (1603-1868) through Meiji (1868-1912) and early Taisho (1912-1926) periods
3. How did Maruko-bune carry so much cargo?Their long, narrow hulls with a V‑shaped or pointed bow cut through water easily, so they could hold many koku of rice and other goods while still being easy to steer.
4. Why were Maruko-bune so important for Japan?They connected towns and cities, helped farmers bring food to markets, and let people trade and grow towns, making the country stronger and richer.

Koku: An ancient Japanese unit of volume, primarily used for measuring rice, equivalent to about 180 liters.
Logistics: The detailed coordination of a complex operation involving many people, facilities, or supplies.
Hydrodynamics: The branch of physics that deals with the motion of fluids and the forces acting on immersed or submerged objects.
Typology: The study or classification of different types of things, especially in art, architecture, or design.