ID :
131349
Sun, 07/04/2010 - 21:06
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/131349
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Ship representing ancient Java kingdom sets sail for Japan
JAKARTA, July 4 Kyodo -
A ship representing the spirit of the ancient Majapahit kingdom on Java Island
and built under the cooperation of Indonesia and Japan set sail Sunday from
Jakarta on a 9,000-kilometer voyage to Japan and other countries.
It is aimed at celebrating the sailing history of the Majapahit kingdom and the
past relationship between Majapahit and the Ryukyu kingdom, which used to
govern Okinawa, as well as raising money for an archaeological study of
historic ruins in and around Java Island.
''We (Indonesia) must prove that we can be a great nation again by taking with
us the spirit of the past...in the sea we are the victor, in the sea we are
strong,'' Tourism and Culture Minister Jero Wacik said before waving off the
ship.
Called the ''Spirit of Majapahit,'' the ship is a replica of a merchant vessel
used during the Majapahit period, a vast archipelagic empire based on the
eastern part of Java from 1293 to the 1500s.
The replica was interpreted from a relief panel of a ship on a wall of the
Buddhist temple of Borobudur in Central Java dating back to the 8th century.
The Japan Majapahit Association, a group of businessmen in Japan who care about
the history and culture of the Majapahit kingdom, initiated the construction of
the ship. Costing about 1 billion rupiah (about $110,000), the construction was
sponsored by the Indonesian and Japanese governments.
''The ship was made to reminisce about the cooperation of the Majapahit and
Ryukyu kingdoms during their battle against the Chinese in the Pacific Ocean,''
said Yoshiaki Takajo, a member of the association.
The sailing vessel has a unique, oval shape with sharp parts on the fore and
aft of the ship to break 5-meter-high waves. It uses triangle-shaped sails and
has two wooden rudders and giant-bamboo-made outriggers on both sides of the
ship for maintaining balance. Not a single nail was used in the construction.
The 20-meter-long ship was made of old, dried teakwood, which is only available
in the regencies of Tuban in East Java and Rembang in Central Java, according
to the ship's chief engineer Supardi.
It took three months to build the ship, involving 15 ship builders from a
number of fishing villages in Sumenep Regency on Madura Island, off East Java.
It is captained by two Indonesians, while a Japanese explorer who canoed across
the Indian Ocean, Yoshiyuki Yamamoto, is on board as a project leader.
The crew also includes two other Japanese and five people from the Bajau ethnic
group, well-known in Indonesia for its seafaring traditions. Five university
students, selected from 800 applicants across Indonesia, also joined the
voyage.
''We, the students, are carrying the cultural diplomacy mission to Japan to
promote closer ties between the two countries,'' Agung Setiyo Wibowo, 22, a
student of the International Relations School at the Paramadina Islamic
University, said at the Marina Batavia Port in North Jakarta.
According to the Japan Majapahit Association, the ship has been making port
calls in Asian countries since late last month, asking for financial and
technical support to excavate the ruins of the Majapahit kingdom.
The ship will travel for about two months to Brunei, the Philippines and Japan.
It is scheduled to reach Japan on July 25, making its first stop at Ishigaki
Island and then Kudaka Island, which served as a trading post of the Ryukyu
kingdom, in Okinawa Prefecture.
The ship will then sail to the Okinawa city of Naha. The crew will make a
courtesy call to Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima before continuing on their
journey to Kagoshima, Kochi, Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka.
It will go then to China, Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia before returning to
Indonesia for another two months. Possible visits to Thailand and Cambodia are
still under negotiations.
''The biggest challenge will be during the journey between the Philippines and
Okinawa because during these months, the weather on the route is very bad, but
we will face the challenge,'' said Eko Deni Hartono, 39, who will captain the
ship from Indonesia to Japan.
The Majapahit kingdom was one of the last major empires in the region and is
considered to be one of the greatest and most powerful empires in the history
of Indonesia and Southeast Asia.
The kingdom reached its peak of glory during the era of King Hayam Wuruk and
his Prime Minister Gadjah Mada. His rule from 1350 to 1389 was marked by
conquest, which extended through Southeast Asia, including present-day
Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, southern Thailand, the Philippines and
East Timor.
==Kyodo
A ship representing the spirit of the ancient Majapahit kingdom on Java Island
and built under the cooperation of Indonesia and Japan set sail Sunday from
Jakarta on a 9,000-kilometer voyage to Japan and other countries.
It is aimed at celebrating the sailing history of the Majapahit kingdom and the
past relationship between Majapahit and the Ryukyu kingdom, which used to
govern Okinawa, as well as raising money for an archaeological study of
historic ruins in and around Java Island.
''We (Indonesia) must prove that we can be a great nation again by taking with
us the spirit of the past...in the sea we are the victor, in the sea we are
strong,'' Tourism and Culture Minister Jero Wacik said before waving off the
ship.
Called the ''Spirit of Majapahit,'' the ship is a replica of a merchant vessel
used during the Majapahit period, a vast archipelagic empire based on the
eastern part of Java from 1293 to the 1500s.
The replica was interpreted from a relief panel of a ship on a wall of the
Buddhist temple of Borobudur in Central Java dating back to the 8th century.
The Japan Majapahit Association, a group of businessmen in Japan who care about
the history and culture of the Majapahit kingdom, initiated the construction of
the ship. Costing about 1 billion rupiah (about $110,000), the construction was
sponsored by the Indonesian and Japanese governments.
''The ship was made to reminisce about the cooperation of the Majapahit and
Ryukyu kingdoms during their battle against the Chinese in the Pacific Ocean,''
said Yoshiaki Takajo, a member of the association.
The sailing vessel has a unique, oval shape with sharp parts on the fore and
aft of the ship to break 5-meter-high waves. It uses triangle-shaped sails and
has two wooden rudders and giant-bamboo-made outriggers on both sides of the
ship for maintaining balance. Not a single nail was used in the construction.
The 20-meter-long ship was made of old, dried teakwood, which is only available
in the regencies of Tuban in East Java and Rembang in Central Java, according
to the ship's chief engineer Supardi.
It took three months to build the ship, involving 15 ship builders from a
number of fishing villages in Sumenep Regency on Madura Island, off East Java.
It is captained by two Indonesians, while a Japanese explorer who canoed across
the Indian Ocean, Yoshiyuki Yamamoto, is on board as a project leader.
The crew also includes two other Japanese and five people from the Bajau ethnic
group, well-known in Indonesia for its seafaring traditions. Five university
students, selected from 800 applicants across Indonesia, also joined the
voyage.
''We, the students, are carrying the cultural diplomacy mission to Japan to
promote closer ties between the two countries,'' Agung Setiyo Wibowo, 22, a
student of the International Relations School at the Paramadina Islamic
University, said at the Marina Batavia Port in North Jakarta.
According to the Japan Majapahit Association, the ship has been making port
calls in Asian countries since late last month, asking for financial and
technical support to excavate the ruins of the Majapahit kingdom.
The ship will travel for about two months to Brunei, the Philippines and Japan.
It is scheduled to reach Japan on July 25, making its first stop at Ishigaki
Island and then Kudaka Island, which served as a trading post of the Ryukyu
kingdom, in Okinawa Prefecture.
The ship will then sail to the Okinawa city of Naha. The crew will make a
courtesy call to Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima before continuing on their
journey to Kagoshima, Kochi, Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka.
It will go then to China, Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia before returning to
Indonesia for another two months. Possible visits to Thailand and Cambodia are
still under negotiations.
''The biggest challenge will be during the journey between the Philippines and
Okinawa because during these months, the weather on the route is very bad, but
we will face the challenge,'' said Eko Deni Hartono, 39, who will captain the
ship from Indonesia to Japan.
The Majapahit kingdom was one of the last major empires in the region and is
considered to be one of the greatest and most powerful empires in the history
of Indonesia and Southeast Asia.
The kingdom reached its peak of glory during the era of King Hayam Wuruk and
his Prime Minister Gadjah Mada. His rule from 1350 to 1389 was marked by
conquest, which extended through Southeast Asia, including present-day
Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, southern Thailand, the Philippines and
East Timor.
==Kyodo
