9 Beautifully Printed Japanese Cartographic Maps

From the Greek words ‘chartis’ meaning map, and ‘graphein’ meaning write, cartography is the art of creating maps to covey spatial information to an audience in an effective, visual manner. A cartographer must not only choose which area to depict, but which traits, physical or otherwise, to be mapped.

Representing the three-dimensional ‘real word’ on a flat medium is far from easy, even with the sophisticated CAD and GIS software available today. In pre-modern Japan, when knowledge of the Earth’s landmasses, let alone technology, was limited at best, it was infinitely more difficult.

Prior to 1543, when Portuguese explorers drifted ashore on Tanegashima Island in Kyusu, bringing with them firearms, Christianity and superior geographical knowledge, the Japanese believed the world to exist solely of Japan, China and India. As witnessed through the incredible Japanese maps below, knowledge spread quickly throughout the country, as false ideas about the Earth’s geography were replaced by more realistic conceptions.

By studying maps of Japan’s Edo period, we can track the development of geographical knowledge through the country. Fortunately, these maps also happen to be some of the most beautiful, detailed and innovative ever created.

Read the full article at http://www.cartridgesave.co.uk/news/9-beautifully-printed-japanese-cartographic-maps/