1879 Meiji 12 Japanese Map of North and South America (Western Hemisphere)

This is a rare 1879 or Meiji 12 Japanese map of the Western Hemisphere. Japanese maps focusing on the Americas were extremely uncommon until the 20th century due to the Tokugawa Era, Sakoku (鎖国) or 'closed country' policy.

Historical Context - An Explanation of Rarity

Commodore Matthew C. Perry arrived in Edo Harbor on July 8, 1853, intimidating the struggling Tokugawa Shogunate to open Japan to foreign trade after 214 years of self-imposed isolation. Prior to 1853, the Sakoku policy allowed Japanese culture to develop in relative isolation, but also deprived them of both access to knowledge of foreign science and technology. On this first journey to Japan, Perry ordered his crew to survey Tokyo (Edo) Bay showing off both his powerful armaments and technological sophistication. On his second visit to Japan, he did a more thorough reconnaissance, visiting Hakodate, Hokkaido. In 1854, under the Convention of Kanagawa, Hakodate port partially opened to foreign ships for provisioning. Several years later, on June 2, 1859, Hakodate fully opened as one of five Japanese ports designated free-trade zones by the 1858 Treaty of Amity and Commerce. Since this map was published twenty-six years after Perry's shattering of Sokoku, this piece represents Japan's growing interest in foreign geography.

A Detailed Look at the Map

The map depicts both North America and South America on a hemispherical projection and includes parts of Antarctica, New Zealand, Greenland, and Siberia. Most of the individual U.S. States and territories are labeled and color coded based upon a configuration prevalent in 1860 - give us some clues as to the source map. The large Nebraska Territory extends north as far as Canada dominates the central plains. The unincorporated Dacotah territory also appears west of Minnesota. Colorado is present and Oregon and Washington extend eastward as far as the Rocky Mountains. The Rocky Mountains, the Andes, and other mountain ranges are shaded of green. An inset of the New England states appears in the upper left.

Publication History and Census

This map was created in Aichi Prefecture by Onitodo Kyoritsu and published in Japan on June 15, 1879, by Ozawa Kichisaburo. We are aware of a partner map, illustrating the Eastern Hemisphere, at the East Asian Library, University of California. Of this Western Hemisphere map, only two other examples known: one cataloged at the National Diet Library in Tokyo, Japan, and a second at the East Asian Library, U.C. Berkeley. Rare.