A Japanese 19th Century Map Book The Territorial Limits of Japan as of 1890

The Historical Truth of the Dokdo - Takeshima Island Dispute

The following page, as the title suggests is an 1890 Japanese Map book displayed in its entirety for the reader to get a clear idea of the territorial perceptions of Japan as a nation in the late 19th Century. This map book shows all of Japan, prefecture by prefecture. Also all of Japan's minor islands are included as either maps of their own or as appended to others. Each prefecture map has a copy of the national map next to it with the relevant region highlighted in pink for geographic reference. From this map we can determine if Dokdo - Takeshima was really considered part of Japanese territory in the years leading up to the 1905 annexation of the island.

The three images from above are (left to right) The cover of the 1890 Japanese Map Book, in the center is the index and to the right is the back cover with the date printed verifying this book was published in 1890

The 1890 Map Book's Overall Region

At the beginning of the Japanese Map Book there is an overall reference map of Japan's surrounding region. At the bottom is a small legend has been added to highlight where ρΣΣφ (Ulleungdo) and αζΣφ (Dokdo) are located. It should be noted Ulleungdo and Dokdo are shown in more westerly locations on this chart. This mapbook used modern western cartography techniques meaning smaller appended maps were used in cases where outlying islands were too distant to be included on maps of great scale. There are similar editions of this publication and the vast majority of books from this era  show the same territorial limits of Japan. The definition of Japan's national boundary did change radically at the turn of the century as she "acquired" Taiwan after the Sino Japanese War, ending in 1895.

Map 1. The Kurile Islands North of Hokkaido

Map 2. Hokkaido Island

Map 3. North Tohoku Region

Map 4. Fukushima~Yamagata~Miyagi Prefectures

Map 5. Kanto Region

Map 6. Chubu Region

Map 7. Niigata Prefecture

Map 8. Kansai Region

Map 9. Chugoku Region Shimane~Tottori and Oki Prefectures

This region of Japan is the most critical when trying to determine if Dokdo - Takeshima was part of Japan in the late 19th Century. Being the most proximate region adjacent to Dokdo, surely if Japan thought the islets were a part of her nation they should be part of the map above but we can see this is not the case. Also we can't say this maps lacks the detail to include small minor islands because tiny Minoshima (ΜΈΣφ)can be seen off the coast of South Shimane Prefecture.  This map of Shimane, like all historical maps of this prefecture, fail to show Dokdo as part of Japan. As always Japan's Okinoshimas are the western limit of Japan. Many more historical maps of Shimane can be seen here.

Map 10. Shikoku Region

Map 11. West Kyushu and Tsushima Island

Map 12. Southeast Kyushu

Map 13. Japan's Outlying Minor Islands, Ryuku, Ogasawara (Bonin), Miyake Islands

In Conclusion

The above publication represents the true territorial limits of Japan as of 1890. It is quite an accurate map book using modern cartographic techniques (ie appended maps) for remote islands. All of Japan's regions are accounted for. In addition, Japan's minor outlying islands such as the Bonin Islands and Ryukus are on  the last map. Some of these tiny island groups are almost 1000 kms away from Japan's main island but were consistently included on national maps of Japan during the late 19th Century. Takeshima (Ulleungdo) and Matsushima (Dokdo) can be seen on the overall map of Japan's surrounding waters. However, these islands are not drawn as part of any region or prefecture of Japan. The only natural conclusion is Japan as a nation did not include either Takeshima or Matsushima as part of Japan around the turn of the 20th Century. There are no less than four pages of Japanese historical maps both national and regional that show Japan continually excluded Ulleungdo and Dokdo from what defined Japan's boundary. These maps can be seen on the following links: maps1 maps2 maps3 maps 4.