A Japanese 19th Century Map Book The Territorial Limits of Japan as of 1895

The Historical Truth of the Dokdo - Takeshima Island Dispute

The following page, as the title suggests is an 1895 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 these maps we can determine if Dokdo - Takeshima was really considered part of Japanese territory in the decade prior to the 1905 annexation of the island.

The 1895 Map Book's Overall Region

This map book begins with an overall chart of Japan and mainland northeast Asia. To the West of Japan two tiny islands unmarked can be seen. Situated in their correct locations these islands can be confirmed as Ulleungdo and Dokdo. (click map)

Map 1. The Kurile Islands Northeast of Hokkaido

The Kuriles are situated North of Japan's Hokkaido Island. The reference map above shows the Kuriles in a red box. The Treaty of Commerce, Navigation and Delimitation was concluded in 1855, and the border was established between Iturup and Urup. This border confirmed that Japanese territory stretched south from Iturup and Russian territory stretched north of Urup. Sakhalin remained a place where people from both countries could live. The Treaty of Saint Petersburg in 1875 resulted in Japan relinquishing all rights over Sakhalin in exchange for Russia ceding all of the Kuril Islands to Japan. (click maps)

Maps 2. and 3. Hokkaido Island

Hokkaido officially became part of Japan in 1868. On the map above it is shown North of Japan's main island and in dark blue. (click)

Map 4. North Tohoku Region

North Tohoku region is shown on the map above in light yellow. It is South of Hokkaido (click maps)

Map 5. Chubu Region (Niigata and Ishikawa)

Chubu Region can be seen on the reference map as dark green and orange. It extends across the main island of Honshu. (click)

Map 6. Kanto Region, Miyake and Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands

The map of Kanto region in this mapbook is important in that it clearly illustrates how the cartographer included all of Japan's tiny outlying islands. Added to the map of Kanto region is an appended map of the Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands group. The Ogasawaras are located about 1000kms directly South of Tokyo and quite small. The Ogasawara Islands (á³Ø¢ê«ð³Óö, Ogasawara Shoto) are an archipelago of over 30 subtropical and tropical islands. The islands were claimed by Japan from the British in 1875 and placed under the Tokyo prefecture in 1880. The Ogasawara Island group was also included in the overall map at the beginning of the 1895 map box. It can be seen in the bright green box on the map to the right. (click maps)

Map 7. Kansai Region and the Oki Islands

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 Mishima (̸Óö)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 were the western limit of Japan. (click maps)

Map 8. Chugoku (Shimane-Tottori) and Shikoku Regions

This map shows Chugoku which was another area of Japan's West coast. Again Dokdo and Ulleungdo are not included. However tiny Mishima is shown off the coast showing this was the western boundary of Japan's main island. These areas are shown as yellow and light green on the reference map to the right. (click)

Kyushu, Tsushima and Surrounding Islands

Kyushu (Îúñ¶, Nine Provinces or Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include Kyukoku (Nine States), Chinzei, West of the Pacified Area), and Tsukushi-no-shima (õèí¹Óö Island of Tsukushi). The historical regional name Saikaido (à¤ú­Ô³ West Sea Circuit) referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands. The reference map above right shows Kyushu as bright red and dark blue. The 1895 map shows Tsushima to the Northwest, Tanegashima and Yakushima to the South.

The Ryukyu Islands

The next map shows the Japanese island chain called the Ryukyus. This is another example of small outlying islands that were included and serve to stress the ommission of Dokdo and Ulleungdo from the map book. The Ryukyu Islands, in Japanese called the Nansei Islands (Ñõà¤ð³Óö, Nansei-shoto) (literally Southwest Islands) are a chain of Japanese islands in the western Pacific Ocean at the eastern limit of the East China Sea. They stretch southwest from the island of Kyushu to the island of Taiwan. In 1879, the Meiji government announced the annexation of the Ryukyus. China, however, diplomatically objected and the former President of the United States Ulysses S. Grant was asked to arbitrate. He decided that Japan's claim to the islands was stronger and ruled in Japan's favor. The claims of the indigenous Ryukyuans to the land were ignored. In the process of annexation, the Japanese military assassinated Ryukyu politicians and civilians who opposed the takeover.

Newly Incorporated Taiwan (Formosa)

This mapbook can be understood to be very accurate and up-to-date chart because of the map of Taiwan that was included. Qing China was defeated in the First Sino-Japanese War (1894?95), and ceded Taiwan and the Pescadores (also shown on map) to Japan in perpetuity in the Treaty of Shimonoseki. Taiwan can also be seen on the 1985 map book's overall chart on the above right. Taiwan in boxed in dark blue.

In Conclusion

The above publication represents the true territorial limits of Japan as of 1895. 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, Kuriles, Ryukus and recently captured Taiwan are included. 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.