日本地誌略 — [An Outline Geography of Japan].

Description

JAPANESE GEOGRAPHY / MEIJI PERIOD EDUCATION

THE SHIHAN SCHOOL GEOGRAPHICAL SURVEY
MIE PREFECTURE IMPRINT

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (Monbushō) / SHIHAN SCHOOL, Compilers

Nihon Chishi Ryaku (日本地誌略) — [An Outline Geography of Japan].

Mie Prefecture: Printed and engraved by Kato Chohei (加藤長平翻刻), Meiji 10 (January, 1877) Revised Edition [明治十年一月改正]. Originally compiled and issued under the authority of the Ministry of Education (文部省刊行 / 師範学校編輯).

 

4 volumes (complete). Large 8vo. 1: Folding map with original colour, 41pp. with black and white illustrations in text, 1 folding map with original colour. 2: 2 folding maps with original colour, 46 pp. with black and white illustrations in text. 3: Folding map with original colour, 72 pp. with black and white illustrations in text, 3 folding maps with original colour. 4: 2 folding maps with original colour, 48 pp. with black and white illustrations in text, 3 folding maps with original colour. Original yellow wrappers with block-printed titles, stab-binding (fuhiko). All with sporadic annotations in red ink, handwritten titles on the lower edge (minor shelf wear, label on vol 1 with small damage, wrappers slightly dusty, sporadic tears and folds in paper, light age-toning to the maps, but overall good).

 

 

This complete four-volume set represents a foundational and highly influential cartographic and geographic text from Japan’s early Meiji era, specifically adapted for regional instructional use. Compiled originally by the Normal School (Shihan Gakkō) under the direct auspices of the newly established Ministry of Education (Monbushō), this specific provincial imprint was authorized and block-printed locally in Mie Prefecture by Kato Chohei, incorporating the crucial January 1877 (Meiji 10) revisions.

Architecturally, the work functions as a rigorous, systematic geopolitical survey of the Japanese archipelago. It is organized meticulously by circuit and province, charting regional borders, cadastral classifications, mountain ranges, riverways, agricultural products, and maritime features. The title page is enclosed within a crisp decorative woodblock border, dynamic with strong, formal calligraphic kanji characters cut deep into the blocks. The text is typographically arranged to serve early modern pedagogical standards, combining sophisticated classical phrasing with localized formatting to provide comprehensive geographical literacy during a vital period of national restructuring and westernizing modernization.

Volume Breakdowns:

• Volume 1 (巻之一): Focuses on the core administrative framework of the empire, detailing the imperial capital of Tokyo, the primary ports, and the ancient provinces encompassing the Kinai (畿内) region (the home provinces surrounding Kyoto) and the Tōkaidō (東海道) circuit.

• Volume 2 (巻之二): Expands across central and eastern Honshu, cataloging the mountainous topography, coastlines, and economic productions of the Tōsandō (東山道) and Hokuriku (北陸) circuits.

• Volume 3 (巻之三): Covers western and southwestern Honshu along with the inland sea areas, charting the geography of the San’indō (山陰道), San’yōdō (山陽道), and Nankaidō (南海道) circuits.

• Volume 4 (巻之四): Completes the national survey by focusing extensively on the outer islands and newly prioritized frontiers, specifically detailing the Saikaidō (西海道) circuit (Kyushu) and the strategic northern territories of Hokkaido (北海道).

The text is richly enhanced by highly detailed woodblock-printed maps (chizu) and graphic visual charts interspersed within the volumes. Each regional segment begins with a crisp, stylized outline map illustrating provincial borders, coastal configurations, and major river systems. Complementing these cartographic plates are fine cultural and agricultural illustrations (bussanzu). These depictions highlight the physical landscapes of famous mountains, local shipping infrastructure, and traditional methodologies of regional manufacturing and crop harvesting. The visual layout uses clear black ink impressions with complete, legible over-printing of character annotations and placenames, serving to translate the complex geography of a unifying nation into highly accessible, graphic forms.