1935 Nakayama Pictorial View of Izu Oshima, Japan

This is a 1935 pictorial bird's-eye view of Izu Ōshima, Japan, produced by the Ōshima Volcano Research Association. It is a stunning representation of the volcanic island, located only about 100 kilometers from Tokyo.

A Closer Look

This view is oriented towards the southwest, as a note at bottom explains, presenting the view from the direction of Tokyo. Various features throughout the island are labeled, including trails, villages, orchards, teahouses, an animal park, hotels, port facilities, a prehistoric Stone Age archaeological site, and, most prominently, the volcanic crater of Mount Mihara. Four inset maps appear, including an overhead map of the island (遊覽略圖), a map of the larger Izu Archipelago, another, more detailed overhead map of Izu Ōshima, and a map of nearby Niijima (which can be seen at top-right of the main view) and Shikinejima.

Hand-written annotations record the distance of the trails on Izu Ōshima and various trailheads (登山口), while pastedowns explain itineraries ('Tour course' 遊覽コース), suggesting when to leave different teahouses to reach various destinations around the island. At left, a smudged stamp most likely belonging to the Ōshima Volcano Research Association appears. Below the title, the view is noted as having been inspected and approved by the Imperial Japanese Army, a common designation of maps of the era.

On the verso, photographs and text appear, providing more information on Izu Ōshima, Niijima, and Shikinejima. The text, noted as having been written by a scientist named Harada Mitsuo (原田三夫), provides extensive information on the geology (vulcanology) of Izu Ōshima and surrounding islands, as well as the flora and fauna of the islands, local culture and religion, and famous sites around the island.

Izu Ōshima

Izu Ōshima is a volcanic island located in the Izu Islands chain, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) south of Tokyo, Japan, in the Philippine Sea. It is the largest and northernmost of the Izu Islands, which are part of Tokyo Prefecture, though geographically separated from the mainland. The island is dominated by Mount Mihara (Miharayama), an active stratovolcano rising to about 758 meters (2,487 feet). It is a classic basaltic volcano, known for frequent but usually non-explosive eruptions. As Japanese domestic tourism boomed in the early 20th century, the Izu Islands became a popular weekend getaway for Tokyoites, close enough to reach by steamer in a matter of hours but worlds away from their cramped urban metropolis.

Not long before this view's production, the volcano had begun erupting in 1933, a not-especially-notable event except that a local student committed suicide by jumping into the volcano during the eruption, and was followed by a rash of copycat suicides (129 by the end of the year and more in the following years), leading the government to seal off the volcano's crater. This mysterious and disturbing phenomenon was the basis for the 1976 psychological novel The Seducer (誘惑者) by Takahashi Takako (高橋 たか子). Whether due to morbid fascination or just increased publicity, tourism to Izu Ōshima increased significantly after the suicides. The crater of Mount Mihara also featured prominently in the 1984 film Godzilla (also known as Godzilla Returns.

Publication History and Census

This map was printed and distributed by Nakayama Tamae (中山珠枝) for the Ōshima Volcano Research Association (大島火山研究會) in July 1935 (Showa 10). We have been unable to locate any examples of this work in institutional collections either within or outside of Japan.