Tokugawa Japan was an urban society.
In the 1600s, the population of cities grew, their areas expanded, and a vibrant urban culture developed. Chōnin (city dwellers) were among the best clients for publishing houses and city maps and city landscape prints became popular.
Edo was an especially common subject, in light of its role as the Tokugawa capital and of its exceptional growth, but other cities such as Kyoto and Osaka were also frequently represented.
City maps usually provided information about businesses, tourist spots, local festivals, travel routes, and even local VIPs, such as important samurai.
Edo (now Tokyo), the seat of the Tokugawa government, had over one million inhabitants. This map depicts the whole city area in great detail, with a drop-down section used to represent the newly developed eastern section.
It follows a structural tradition well established since the 1600s, giving a central position to Edo castle and its compounds and to warrior mansions, marked by family crests. It also represents governmental offices, commoners’ blocks, roads, major bridges, temples and shrines, lakes, ponds and rivers. Its iconographical complexity reflects the bustling life of the city.
Ref. Japanese 97
This pictorial map shows a bird’s-eye view of the city of Edo, as seen from the direction of Honjo, in present-day Sumida Ward. Drawn in single-point perspective, it fits the entire city on a single page, with a wealth of visual information about noteworthy sites. It highlights the nature of Edo as a city of water and greenery that made ingenious use of its river and ocean resources.
Ref. Japanese 99
This map represents the Imperial Capital of Japan, Kyoto. In the Tokugawa period, the Imperial family had lost all of its political power, and maintained only a symbolic role. However, Kyoto remained a strong cultural competitor to Edo. It was also a popular tourist destination, thanks to the refined aura of the Court and to its many beautiful temples, shrines and historical sites.
This map, as was typical of Kyoto cartography since the late 1600s, covers both the central area of the city and its surrounding hills, where many of the points of attraction of the city were located.
Ref. Japanese 94
