1883 Hashimoto City Map or Plan of Kyoto, Japan

Readjusting for the Meiji Era.

This is an 1883 city plan or map of Kyoto, Japan, prepared by Hashimoto Chōgetsu. It was published after Kyoto lost its status as Japan's imperial capital, but just as its partial revival as an industrial and transportation hub was beginning.

A Closer Look

This map is oriented with north to the left and east at the top. Different neighborhoods of the city are color-shaded for distinction, and streets (丁) are labeled throughout. Several major landmarks are illustrated, including the Imperial Palace (禁裏御所), Higashi Hongan-ji Temple (東本願寺), the Prefectural Government offices (亰都府), and dozens of other temples and shrines, including those on the outskirts of the city, whose names are written in pink-shaded rectangles. The map also indicates schools, post offices, villages, suburban and rural counties, waterways, and other features. A large table of distances towards the bottom-right measures distances to points throughout Kyoto and the surrounding area from the Sanjō Ōhashi Bridge (三条大橋), a common point of reference for measuring distances as it was the end point of both the Tōkaidō (connecting with Edo/Tokyo) and the less famous Nakasendō (also connecting with Edo / Tokyo).

Kyoto Station

The Kyoto Station seen here (labeled here simply as 'Station' in kana) was opened in 1877 to accommodate the first railway to reach Kyoto, linking with Osaka. This structure was replaced by a larger building in 1914, which burned down in 1950. A concrete, utilitarian structure opened in 1952 and was added to continuously to accommodate greater traffic, especially the Tōkaidō Shinkansen (the world's first high-speed train). In 1997, it was completely replaced by the current station to coincide with the 12,000th anniversary of Kyoto's founding. All these stations have occupied the same space and, along with Kyoto's much older temples and palaces, have constituted one of the city's main landmarks and the main point of disembarkation for travelers.

Recovery from Restoration

This map was produced during the Meiji period, named for the Meiji Emperor, who had resided in Kyoto in his youth as earlier emperors had done for centuries. However, after casting his lot with samurai rebelling against the Tokugawa Shogunate, the emperor was 'restored' to political prominence after centuries of occupying a mostly ceremonial role. The opening act of the Meiji Restoration was the emperor's procession from Kyoto to Edo (renamed Tokyo) to occupy the palace of the deposed Tokugawa. This move made Tokyo the undisputed political, economic, and cultural center of Japan, and Kyoto's population, prestige, and wealth decreased in relative terms as a result. But it remained one of Japan's larger cities and a draw for tourists and religious pilgrims. Kyoto also saw its share of modernization projects, including railway connections (seen here) and a series of canals linking the city to Lake Biwa (琵琶湖), seen here at the top with a paddle steamer afloat.

Publication History and Census

This map was prepared (edited) by Hashimoto Chōgetsu (橋本澄月) and published by Fūgetsu Shōzaemon (風月庄左衛門) in 1883 (Meiji 16), revising an earlier 1879 (Meiji 12) edition. The map is scarce in both editions, and outside Japan it is held only by the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of British Columbia. In Japan, the map is held by Bukkyo University, the Nichibunken (International Research Center for Japanese Studies), the National Diet Library, Ritsumeikan University, the National Archives of Japan, and the Kyoto Institute, Library and Archives.

Cartographers

Hashimoto Chōgetsu (橋本澄月; fl. c. 1879 - 1898) was an illustrator, engraver, publisher, and cartographer active in Kyoto in the Meiji period. He became a key figure in adopting Western copperplate etching to Japanese publishing, though he continued to produce woodblock prints until at least the early 1880s. Hashimoto focused heavily on administrative cartography and illustrated travel guides focusing on Kyoto and neighboring prefectures. His work coincided with the frequent administrative reorganizations and rapid urban transformation of the Meiji period, providing important insight into the history of the Kansai region in this era.   Further Details...

Fūgetsudō (風月堂, 風月庄左衛門; fl. c. 1635 - 1915), not to be confused with the storied candy shop chain of the same name, was a Kyoto based publisher of maps and books active in the Edo and Meiji periods. The firm's more common name is an abbreviation of Fugetsu Shōzaemon (風月庄左衛門). Established during the Kan'ei era (1624–1644) in the early Edo period as Fugetsu Sōchi, Fugetsudō was one of Kyoto's oldest and most influential publishing houses and booksellers, and one of the premier members of Kyoto's elite booksellers guild (Shorin Jissatsu). Fugetsudō built its reputation on scholarly and intellectual publications, specializing in Confucian treatises, Chinese imports (tangon), medical texts, dictionaries, and Buddhist literature. Beyond producing original woodblock prints, the house operated an extensive book trading network, supplying rare manuscripts to major feudal domains such as Owari and Saeki through regional branches like Fugetsu Magosuke in Nagoya. The house's surviving 18th-century business diary, the Nichireki (日暦), remains one of the single most important primary historical sources for understanding Edo-period publishing economics, copyright pools (itakabu), and book distribution. As Japan modernized during the late 19th century, Fugetsudō successfully adapted its business from traditional woodblock printing to modern production methods, remaining active well into the Meiji period. The firm embraced Western copperplate etching (dōban-ga), collaborating with prominent local engravers and editors like Hashimoto Chōgetsu to publish highly accurate district maps, pocket travel guides (such as the 1880 Kyōto Meisho Ichiran Zue), and landscape prints documenting Meiji-era infrastructure developments like the Lake Biwa Canal. Spanning nearly three centuries of continuous operation, Fugetsu Shōzaemon played a vital role in establishing Kyoto as Japan's historical center of print culture and capturing its transition into the modern age.   Further Details...

Condition

Good. Wear and toning along fold lines with small area of loss at one intersection. Edge wear.

References

OCLC 21808150, 1020891134. University of British Columbia, Japanese Maps of the Tokugawa Era Collection, G7963 .K85 1883 H2; G7963_K85_1883_H2.