The Benibana Museum (The Safflower Museum)
30. Route of Benibana Conveyance (最上紅花の輸送経路)
Benibana collected in Yamagata and Yachi was conveyed to Kyoto. What was its conveyance route? Dried benibana was packed at the senders by 1 Kon (4 kans) and it was transported on horse back to Oishida, which was made a shipment down the Mogami River to Sakata(酒田). There, packages were brought up a sea cargo to Tsuruga. From Tsuruga they were conveyed by land to Kaizu (海津) or Shiotsu (塩津). The packages were conveyed to Kyoto via the Biwa Lake (琵琶湖) and the Yodo River (淀川). In those days, the rice which was conveyed Edo or Osaka took the sea route called "the western sea route" (西廻り), but benibana took the partly by sea and partly by land. That was because benibana was valuable thing and if the land transportation was taken, it was still more profitable.
The trading was done by the wholesalers who were patrons of shippers at the important spots. The shippers put the plate of its brand and sent with the approximate prices.
The wholesalers sent them to the following trader after subtracting the settled price.
This system of conveyance aimed at protecting the native post towns and stations.