What is launching ceremony?

The "launch" is the time where a vessel that has been constructed in a building slip and is nearly complete, is safe to float in the water and refers to the actual process of floating the vessel in the water. The ceremony when doing this is called the launching ceremony.

hipping building, which has a history dating from 3000BC, had various ceremonies at the different stages of construction. Among these, the launching ceremony, the ceremony that celebrates the birth of a new ship is still the most important ceremony of them all. hen all is said and done, the lead roles of the launching ceremony are those of the person that christens the vessel and the person that cuts the guy rope. In Japan, from the start of the Meiji era, it was traditional to have the pleasure of the attendance of the Emperor or a representative of the imperial family at the launching ceremonies of military vessels, and the Minister for the Navy would christen the vessel. It may be because of this that even now most ships are christened with male names. he origins of the launching ceremony, the breaking the bottle of red wine on the bow of the vessel is said to have started in the early eighteen hundreds. In 1811, the then Prince of England decided at the launch of a military vessel that a lady should have the role and since then this has established itself as tradition in Western nations. Looking at European and American launching ceremonies, you will often see a lady banging the bottle with all her might. This is because the bottle not breaking is seen as boding ill for the vessel. This red wine at some point changed to white wine and then to champagne. In Japan, it seems that sake (rice wine) is often used. For your information, we use champagne.
lthough hammers or knives are used when cutting guy rope, we use a silver ax. This silver ax is unique to Japan and was first used at the launching ceremony of a military ship Hashidate in 1891. A silver ax is believed to be a lucky charm which drives the devil away. The three gaps carved on the left side represent Gods of three pillars and the four gaps on the right side represent four heavenly kings. At the time of the launching ceremony it represents your prayers for the Gods' protection. he slope of the building slip is 3 degrees. There are two parallel rails on this, as well as the few thousand steel balls the size of a shot put inside the rails. Normally there would be a fixing device in place to ensure the slip does not slip down the building slip. However, this is removed as the launching ceremony approaches and the only thing left holding the vessel back is the trigger, which fulfils the role of a hook connecting the building slip and the vessel. It is set up so that once the guy rope is cut, all the triggers release and the vessel slides down the slope. The launching ceremony equates to the birth of a child. A guy rope that was used at the launching ceremony is highly valued as a maternity girdle for women who are facing delivery and as lucky charms that the mother grasps at the time of the delivery or for a safe birth.

In the case that a vessel is built in dock, water is injected into the dock and the vessel is left to float up. In such cases a launching ceremony is not held. Rather, after completion at the handing over a naming ceremony is held to celebrate the birth of the vessel.

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