Stock ID #177938 日本鳥瞰九州大図絵. [Nippon chokan Kyushu daizue]. Bird's-eye View Pictorial Map of Kyushu, Japan]. YOSHIDA HATSUZABURO, 吉田初三郎.

日本鳥瞰九州大図絵. [Nippon chokan Kyushu daizue].
Bird's-eye View Pictorial Map of Kyushu, Japan].

大阪. [Osaka]. 大阪毎日新聞社. [Osaka Mainichi Shinbunsha]. Taisho 16 [ 1926]. Stock ID #177938

A very colourful bird's-eye panoramic pictorial map, 27 x 106.5 cm, folded into 27 x 13.3 cm, tourist information text on reverse. Neat handwritten comments in English. Extensive Japanese washi repairs to some folds but mainly to edges and mostly on the reverse. A few folds with slight loss, nevertheless a very attractive panorama.

This fascinating bird's-eye view pictorial map of Kyushu was produced by Yoshida Hatsusaburo (1886-1955), who was a renowned pictorial map illustrator. He produced more than 3000 bird's-eye maps in his career. He became famous after Crown Prince Hirohito (later Showa Emperor) used Yoshida's pictorial map during his visit to Kyoto, and praised it highly. As tourism became more popular in Japan in the early 20th century, Yoshida was commissioned to draw those bird's-eye maps on various areas and cities. Yoshida's artistic technique introduced quite drastic deformation so that various far-away sites could be included in one map.

This map of Kyushu engages the above technique. The map covers the whole Kyushu Island. Major cities and landmarks are all included here from Nagasaki to Sakurajima volcano in Kagoshima. In addition, in the distance, you can see Korea, Dalian and even Shanghai! This pictorial map was originally going to be published as a new year issue supplement for Osaka Mainichi Newspaper in 1927. However, with the death of Taisho Emperor on 25 December 1926, a new era of Showa started and 1927 became the 2nd year of Showa. Thus, the newspaper company had to reprint the map with new dates, namely Showa 2. Yet, this particular map retains the original publishing date of 1 January in Taisho 16. The map was probably owned by a Westerner whose writing in English appears along the upper margin of the map and on cover. On reverse, tourist information in Japanese on the major sites in Kyushu appears as well as an advertisement of cosmetic products.

When referring to this item please quote stockid 177938.

Price: $250.00 AU

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