This impressive late Edo period wide area map, printed and published ca. 1860, shows the old provinces of Hitachi, Shimoksuke, Kozuke, Kai, Shinano, Totomi and all the provinces surrounding present day Tokyo. In today's geography, this would include (approximately) the area in the west from Hamamatsu; east and north from Tokyo to about Iwaki on the Pacific coast. Wide area maps such as this one were not published in Japan until the last few years of the Edo period. This folding woodblock map is beautifully printed using at least five separate blocks for black, yellow, red, blue and green. Note that some areas of blue are done in a lovely gradient from light to dark, indicating the sea depth. The large red area denotes the City of Tokyo. Mt. Fuji is also depicted. There is a printed paper label on top board. Woodblock printed maps (“chizu”) became popular during the late Edo period when the Tokugawa rulers had successfully unified Japan and closed it to outside commerce. To keep the landowning gentry in line, it was required that they spend one year in Edo (Tokyo) and one year in their home province, alternately. This forced the overlords to maintain large establishments in both places and take at least one major trip a year. These local rulers, called daimyo, and their retainers, the samurai, naturally developed a healthy interest in the geography of Japan as they traveled back and forth. (See several marvelous examples in the book “Isles of Gold: Antique Maps of Japan” by Hugh Cortazzi.)
It is extremely difficult to find such a fine, large wide area map of 19th century Edo based on the old provinces. Overall condition is great. The woodblock print of the map is an excellent impression with full margins. There are some worm tracks closed on verso with archival tissue. This large woodblock paper map measures approximately 67” (170cm) by 58” (147cm) and folds into the original Japanese-style paper boards, which measure 5” (13cm) by 7” (18cm).
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