1916 Taisho 5 Large Scale 2 Sheet Map of Seoul, South Korea

Titled simply 'Capital' (京城), this is a detailed two-part map of Seoul, South Korea, prepared in 1916 (Taisho 5), following the Japanese Annexation. The map is impressive in both its size and detail, extending from the Bukhan-Dong to the Han River. It indicates dopography, the street gird, individual bocks and important buildings, transportation networks, and more. This map was issued during a period of consolidated Japanese political and military power in Korea following the 1910 Japan-Korea Treaty annexation and the ultimate suppression of the Uibyeong armies in 1916. Such highly detailed topographic maps were rarely made and limited to only the most important centers – of which Seoul was most certainly the greatest. Likely circulation would have been highly curtailed and access limited to administrative and military personnel. This is, as such, a rare find – the first such example we have seen.