Official

A huge number of articles and images will be hit when you goug in the "Teito Express Kisen Operation System Map" (original text is "Teito Express Kisen Transition System Map"), but all of them seem to refer to only one material.

Since it was published by Hitobunsha in 2005 as a "Reprinted Old Map" (left of the figure above), it seems that this map itself was quite around the world, and it seems that there are many books and papers that have been adopted as reference materials.

It is also included as a material in Chuo-ku's "Chuo-ku History Map Nihonbashi Edition", so many people may have seen it.

In addition, for example, "Urban Water Transportation Base Space in Modern Tokyo" is a paper published by the Japan Society of Civil Engineers on the Internet, but the location of 58 departure and arrival sites listed in the Teito Express Kisen Operation System Map are examined in detail and are trying to pattern them as "summary of the location characteristics of base spaces in modern Tokyo."

In addition, a paper entitled "Current Status of Hashizume Square established by the Imperial City Reconstruction Project-To Tokyo-" was featured as a water transport route in the early Showa era.

In this way, the Teito Express Kisen operation system diagram itself seems to be treated as "document without doubt".

But...

What kind of company was Teito Express Kisen Co., Ltd., because it is such a "Teito Express Kisen Co., Ltd." ？」 I was interested in "Who is the founder?"

However, even if you search for "Teito Express Kisen", you will not hit at all except the map above. The only sentence was found in the pdf of the news from Katsushika City History, saying, "The (neighborhood) Pompom steamer was called the Imperial Express Kisen."

Of course, it's too short to think that it didn't exist in history because it didn't hit on the Internet, so I decided to take a steady look at relevant literature.

Based on various studies, an appendix to the book "Dai-Tokyo Jinori" published in the early Showa era: It was found that the route map of the steamship at that time was included by company in the "Traffic Detailed Information Great Tokyo Information". (The figure above shows the 1932 version of the "Sumida River Boat")

A part of the 1932 edition is also included as an appendix of "Tokyo History Bulletin 35" Modern Tokyo ferry and one coin steam steam "(Heisei 3) sold by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

A collection of route maps with slightly different ages has been found, but none of them have a company named "Teito Express Kisen Co., Ltd." 。 Speaking of the history of ships, it is "ship history manuscript", but it does not exist here (this is not actually examined, but the opinion of the Maritime Library), and the "Chuo-ku History Chronicle" that collects newspaper articles I tried to hit it carefully, but missed it.

In other words, I couldn't find the name "Teito Express Kisen Co., Ltd." in the "Bank Company Record" (listed information on all registered companies), which has been published every year since 1912.

Did this company really exist? ？ ？

There are many water transport companies that have been born and disappeared on the Sumida River in Tokyo Bay, but in the sense that there are companies that can trace their history to date, I think that there were three major flows.

The first is the domestic transportation that was famous for the transportation Maru (which was also depicted in Nishiki-e) in the early Meiji era. It's the predecessor of today's Nippon Express. I've written an article like this.

The second is Tokyo Bay Kisen, which is now Tokai Kisen. This is a topical introduction, but I wrote this article.

The third is the flow that leads to the current Tokyo Tourism Steamship.

When the “City Revitalization and Regional Revitalization Forum by Tourism Boat” was held in 2010, Kunio Sakai, an advisor to the Tokyo Metropolitan Tourism Steamship, said, “From Sumida River Kisen (Mama) via the Tokyo Water Bus. History that led to Tokyo Tourism Steamship "is also explained.

On the other hand, according to the Great Tokyo Information, at the time when the Sumida River aircraft carrier existed, there were about 10 companies that were rival companies or engaged in the same water transport business on the Sumida River. Sumida River, Tokyo Tori, Azuma Express Kisen, Senju Kisen, Tokyo Okawa Kisen, Tokyo Circuit, Koto Circuit, Tokyo Tsuun, Tokyo Kisen, Joto Express, etc. (Note: Not all existed at the same time.)

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If it is only the name "Teito Express Kisen", it may have been used as a general term for many of these companies, but it is presumed that it is written as "Edited by the founder of Teito Express Kisen Co., Ltd."

Perhaps some people conceived "integration of many water transport companies" with the feeling of the founder.

Nevertheless, even if it covers all the landings of the water transport company at that time, it is not far from the number of departures and departures of the "Teito Express Kisen", so I feel that it was quite a "flying" concept ...

And although the company itself could not be established, I guess (I was tired of searching) that only the "plan" before the establishment might have walked alone as the "Teito Express Steamship Service System Map" ... is.

Of course, there is a possibility that there was a hole in my examination. In particular, the bank company records are not in the order of Aiei, but in the order of Iroha, so I had a hard time following it. So, I would be glad if anyone could solve the mystery of the "Teito Express Kisen" and prove the existence and non-existence.