Toyo Kisen Kaisha (東洋汽船) was a Japanese shipping company, headquartered in Tokyo.[1]
In 1896 Asano Sōichirō created the company, with the plan to have a shipping line to San Francisco.[2]
Starting in 1905 it operated passenger ships for the routes from Japan to South America, and the company transported low income East Asian immigrants to South America. The Japanese government funded the company via the National Far Western Shipping Route Subsidizing Act.[3]
In 1926 the company decided to stop operating passenger ships due to competition from ships operated by American and British companies and due to a reduction in immigration. Nippon Yusen took the ships that TKK operated.[4]
Ships
- America Maru
- Anyo Maru
- Bokuyo Maru
- Hong Kong Maru
- Kiyo Maru
- Korea Maru
- Nippon Maru class ships
- Persia Maru
- Seiyo Maru
- Shinyo Maru
- Siberia Maru
- Tenyo Maru
Further reading
- - Profile at Shibusawa Eiichi Memorial Foundation
References
- The Ship Compendium and Yearbook Compendiums Ltd., 1922^
- - Cited page 5. Original article in Japanese - Relevant passage is on page 161, PDF p. 4/7. Michio Yamada. Emigrants to North America in the Meiji Era Ships of the World, January 1994^