Host: The Association of Japanese Geographers
Name : Annual Meeting of the Association of Japanese Geographers, Spring 2020
Date : March 27, 2020 - March 29, 2020
An examination of some duplicated maps derived from the Laksman’s double hemisphere world map
Yojiro Utsunomiya (Emeritus Professor of Mie Univ., Writer)
1. Introduction
The author studied a globe made by Inagaki and recognized Suzuki Kumazo’s tracing of globe and maps of Laksman in 1792, therefore he dismissed Hoshu’s declares of the book, ‘Hokusabunryaku’. This presentation introduces a newly emerged a map and proposes the method for keeping historical heritages.
2. Some double hemisphere world maps in Japan
Japan has four double hemisphere world maps such as 1) ‘Chikyuzenzu’ attached to the Hoshu’s book, 'Hokusabunryaku' (National Archives of Japan), 2) ’Ryohankyuzu’ (Shinminato Museum), 3) ‘Matsui’s map’ (Matsui family collection) and 4) ‘Orandachikyuzu’. This new map (4) appeared on the international rare book fair in Tokyo in 2018. Though it has parts with some modifications, the secondary original diagram of the ‘Chikyuzenzu’ is a map traced and translated by Suzuki Kumazo in Nemuro in 1792. Therefore, it was derived from the Laksman’s double hemisphere world map, despite the official Shogunate opinion in the legend of his book, ‘Hokusabunryaku’. The Matsui’s map written in Russian and received from Mr. Honda Toshiaki is a duplicated map based on the original diagram that is estimated that Toshiaki got duplication figure via Mogami Tokunai of his disciple, or a Shogunate physician, Katsuragawa Hoshu.
The map, ‘Orandachikyuzu’ seems to be derived from the map duplicated by Kumazo, because of Russian notation, and alike to the Matsui’s map, and the other two maps are written in Japanese Kana and Chinese character. The dimensions of these four map sheets seem to be roughly similar.
The coastline near the entrance of the Californian Gulf in this new map, ‘Orandachikyuzu’ runs in the NNW, but the other three maps have a sharp bend into the NNE. Excluding of this area this new map shows same shorelines in Ryohankyuzu and Matsui’s map. As for the other coastline, the coastline of the Bering Strait in ‘Chikyuzenzu’ is different from the other three maps. Moreover, north of the Japanese archipelago near Ezo Island (now Hokkaido), shapes and number of Islands on this map differs from those of the other three maps. While similar exploration routes are drawn on these four maps, the names of two islands in the South Atlantic, St Helena and Ascension Islands, appear only on ‘Chikyuzenzu’.
3. The significance of explanation without excess and deficiency, and securing maps and documents in Japan.
The Matsui's map is lost now and only able to be observed with its Black and white image. The other academic than geographer are unaware that monochrome map images are a great loss for understanding the geographic information and the artist's intentions. The map is just a same as a painting on canvas. In this undisturbed age, the important heritage or historiography and their records have been lost frequently, and might outflow in the future. To avoid loss of these important heritages, the unceasing attention against the market even if its value is unknown at that time, are important for protecting rare book, map and objects in this country.
4. Basic sophistication for curator of the museum and librarian.
From this perspective, curators and librarians need to acquire basic geographical skills, for which geography should provide them sufficient training courses.
5. Conclusion
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