The local government of Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island, had completed the 1：10,000, 1：50,000 and 1：200,000 map series in 1890’s, which was one of the earliest Mapping Projects in Japan although his survey environment was so hard.
Hokkaido’s survey system was different from the later works by the authoritative Land Survey Burau who certainly controlled maps by a dense triangulation network, proceeded by topographic survey with plane tables. Hokkaido conducted, under the name of the “Triangulation project”, a triangulation, an astronomical observation, a coastline traverse and meander surveys in parallel. The latter two surveys revealed topography, through the noting and sketching on field note, instead of plane table. The former two surveys compensated the latter two systematic survey errors. Consequently, they worked out a fast mapping than the system of the Land Survey Burau. The Hokkaido survey followed the 19 centuries’ mapping system of developing North America by the instruction of American experts, who had poor road networks and little landmark,
Besides the Mapping Project, Hokkaido undertook subdivision works of his large public land into lots for pioneers since 1886. The rectangular and topographic surveys were also carried out for the purpose. The Mapping project have been regarded as conducted independently, but this study reveals the survey for the land subdivision works closely corporate in the same Geographical Section of the Hokkaido Administration.
Local government are obliged to close corporation between sections or divisions and could share a limited resource, whereas hierarchical military organization might be poor in that aspect, even though it is powerful. Hokkaido employed an appropriate survey system suitable for the climate.
