Genroku Kuniezu

The Digital Archives Top

Important Cultural Properties - Classic Maps

Genroku Kuniezu

Constitution
Important Cultural Properties - Documents
Important Cultural Properties - Classic Maps
Important Cultural Properties - Japanese Classics
Important Cultural Properties - Chinese Classics
Various Holdings

Genroku Kuniezu

The Tokugawa Shogunate ordered four times in years of Keicho, Shoho, Genroku and Tempo to prepare maps of every "kuni" (country) all over Japan. Preparation of Genroku Kuni Ezu (national land maps) was ordered to be started in the 9th year of Genroku (1696) and completed to cover most of Japan by the 15th year of Genroku (1702). The maps were compiled on a scale reducing 1 "ri" (3927m) to 6 "sun" (18cm) [about 1/21,600 scale], containing mountains, rivers, roads and other landmarks. Black circles across highways are milestones. Names of villages and recognized yields of rice are written inside oval frames that are colored differently for individual counties, while castle towns shown by white squares indicate names of area and lords of castle. The National Archives possess 8 each originals and copies of the Genroku Kuni Ezu. These maps were designated as National Important Cultural Properties of Japan in the 58th year of Showa (1983) together with 83 maps compiled in Tempo era (119 maps when overlapped portions are included) and 85 Tempo Go Cho (records of villages) where a yield of rice of every village from Matsumae (Hokkaido) to Ryukyu (Okinawa) The photography was carried out without any modification of the present conditions of the maps, and some of the portions may not be so clear.

Thumbnail

List

Hitachi-no-Kuni (Genroku era)

Names normally filled in are not shown. Mt. Tsukuba is illustrated with a main shrine of Omido Temple and trees in detail. Original size: 405cm from east to west and 550cm from north to south.
Shimousa-no-Kuni (Genroku era)

Names filled in shows that Sekijuku domain (Makino Bizen-no-kami) and Koga domain (Matsudaira Izu-no-kami) were tasked to prepare illustration. Development of new rice field was in progress and a lake called Tsubaki Sea was reclaimed and disappeared. Original size: 501cm from east to west and 391cm from north to south.
Omi-no-Kuni (Genroku era)

Copy of Genroku kuni Ezu (Country Map in Genroku Era). Names filled in show that Hikone domain (Ii Kamon-no-kami), Zensho domain (Honda Oki-no-kami) and Minakuchi domain (Torii Harima-no-kami) were tasked to prepare illustrations. Mt. Hiei is illustrated with many temples and shrines on it. Original size: 343cm from east to west and 516cm from north to south.
Yamashiro-no-Kuni (Genroku era)

Copy of Genroku Kuni Ezu (Country Map in Genroku Era). Original size: 233cm from east to west and 328cm from north to south.
Tamba-no-Kuni (Genroku era)

Names filled in show that Fukuchiyama domain (Kutsuki Shinano-no-kami), Sonobe domain (Koide Ise-no-kami) and Kashiwabara domain (Oda Yamashiro-no-kami) were tasked to prepare maps. Original size: 399cm from east to west and 311cm from north to south.
Yamato-no-Kuni (Genroku era)

Copy of Genroku kuni Ezu (Country Map in Genroku Era). Names filled in show that Koriyama domain (Honda Noto-no-kami) and Takatori domain (Uemura Uemon-no-suke) prepared maps. Original size: 245cm from east to west and 442cm from north to south.
Kawachi-no-Kuni (Genroku era)

Copy of Genroku kuni Ezu (Country Map in Genroku Era). Names filled in are those who were magistrates of temples and shrines, inspectors general, town magistrates and chief financial officials, respectively. The illustration depicts scene before opening of Shin-yamato river in the first of Hoei(1704). Original size: 137cm from east to west and 295cm from north to south.
Izumi-no-Kuni (Genroku era)

Copy of Genroku kuni Ezu (Country Map in Genroku Era). Name filled in shows that Kishiwada domain (Okabe Mino-no-kami) was tasked to prepare maps. Original size: 110cm from east to west and 240cm from north to south.
Settsu-no-Kuni (Genroku era)

Copy of Genroku kuni Ezu (Country Map in Genroku Era). Names filled in shows that Amagasaki domain (Aoyama Harima-no-kami), Takatsuki domain (Nagai Toyokuma) and Mita domain (Kuki Yamato-no-kami) were tasked to prepare maps. A tidal flat widely stretches in mouth of Yodo River near present-day Mt. Tempo. Original size: 274cm from east to west and 246cm from north to south.
Harima-no-Kuni (Genroku era)

Copy of Genroku kuni Ezu (Country Map in Genroku Era). Feudal calns, Asano, Honda, Wakisaka and Matsudaira were originally tasked to prepare maps. However, three clans other than Asano Family submitted the illustrations after Asano was deprived of its status due to "Ako Incident." Original size: 374cm from east to west and 310cm from north to south.
Hyuga-no-Kuni (Genroku era)

Brief history for preparation of map is written on back of it, indicating that Sakamoto Kanbei, an official painter employed by Satsuma domain, illustrated it. Original size: 423cm from east to west and 726cm from north to south.
Ohsumi-no-Kuni (Genroku era)

Name filled in shows that Satsuma domain (Matsudaira Satsuma-no-kami) was tasked to prepare maps. Original size: 349cm from east to west and 750cm from north to south.
Satsuma-no-Kuni (Genroku era)

Name fill in show that Satsuma domain (Matsudaira Satsuma-no-kami) was tasked to prepare maps. "Gyokuryuzan Fukushoji Temple," family temple of Shimazu Clan, is also written along "Kagoshima Castle" written inside a white square. Original size: 414cm from east to west and 781cm from north to south.
Ryukyu-koku (Okinawatou) (Genroku era)

Name filled in shows that Satsuma domain (Matsudaira Satsuma-no-kami) was tasked to prepare maps. Original size: 305cm from east to west and 548cm from north to south.
Ryukyu-koku (Ohshima) (Genroku era)

Name filled in shows that Satsuma domain (Matsudaira Satsuma-no-kami) was tasked to prepare maps. Original size: 312cm from east to west and 597cm from north to south.
Ryukyu-koku (Yaeyamatou) (Genroku era)

Name filled in shows that Satsuma domain (Matsudaira Satsuma-no-kami) was tasked to prepare maps. Original size: 261cm from east to west and 589cm from north to south.