Map of the Districts and Countries of Great Japan

This is a spectacular, large format folding map of Japan by Takashiba Ei'San'Yu, dated 1849. The map presents the primary Japanese islands of Kyushu, Honshu, Shikoku and a number of small surrounding islands in a northwestern orientation. It is divided by provinces (kuni or country, here just translated as country) and districts. Main roads, and sea routes with distances are delineated throughout the map.

The purpose of the map seems to draw attention to touristy destinations. The author seems to apologizing for not listing more temples and hot springs etc. and advises the reader on how to find more. The Tokugawa period was a period of unprecedented stability for Japan which allowed for a tourism industry to grow. This map came out not too long after Hiroshige's famous travel art 53 stations of Tokaido, a series of prints that illustrated that journey along the imperial road from Edo (modern Tokyo) to the emperor's palace in Kyoto.

In his note Takashiba Ei'San'Yu talks about following the Ekiro (lit. post road), these were a network of highways that were established in the Ritsuryo system during the Asuka period (538-710). These were primarily for emergencies and official business and ran in mostly straight lines throughout administrative districts of Japan (the five home districts and seven circuits as they were called) which were also established during this period. The names of these administrative districts and the highways that run through them – such as Tokaido – have stuck around even if the borders have shifted.

The table in the top right provides distances to the country of Musashi and the various countries of Edo. The boxes inside the table list a larger region and then a town within it followed by the distance.