Warajiya Publishing Co., Ltd., (sold) (和楽路屋)

A beautifully detailed 1923 or Taisho 12 birds' eye view of Osaka, Japan from the vantage point of Osaka Bay, oriented towards the northwest. The level of detail is so meticulous that individual pedestrians are discernible. The map labels major landmarks such as the Osaka Station (upper-left), Osaka Castle (upper-right), and the Sumiyosi (or Sumiyoshi) Shrine, shown as an inset at bottom-right as it is outside the frame. It also notes the location of temples, pagodas, parks, streetcar stations, major bridges, schools, government offices, police stations, firehouses, post offices, bathhouses, theaters, entertainment halls (寄席), markets, and dining halls, all of which are named within color-coded boxes or marked with one of the symbols indicated in the legend. The characters in the large white circles signify city districts, and those in the small white circles signify neighborhoods. Given the title on the slipcase, Panoramic Map of Lively Osaka City, the information provided, and the description at top-right (under the title), this map would have been useful for both visitors and locals. Among the few post-publication annotations are a purple stamp at the far bottom-right with the name and address of the original owner, who looks to have been a resident of Osaka's Takatsu (高津) neighborhood. The owner has circled the Osaka Chamber of Commerce (商業會議所) towards the left-center of the map in pencil, and a small tower and cluster of buildings on the edge of the Takatsu and Uemachi (上町) neighborhoods. (more details)