It seems that, even before the Meiji period, rivers were improved in the areas from Tohoku to Kyushu to provide better water transportation routes, corresponding to economic development in the Edo period, and the amount of goods distributed throughout the nation increased greatly.
もっとも、明治以前においても、江戸時代の経済発展に伴い、水運路の整備のため東北地方から九州まで河川改修が進み、物資の流通は飛躍的に伸びてはいた。