Late 19th century Victorian map of Japan based on the latest reports provided by diplomats. 

Fundamentally, the geographical shape of islands is based on the maps drawn by the German naturalist and map maker Franz von Siebold. These have been corrected and augmented by the maps published by the reports of Commodore Perry's expedition to Japan. Those two sources were the main providers for maps of Japan in the second half of the 19th century. Stanford first issued maps of Japan in the late 1850s shortly after the founding of his firm but as was usual with his firm, they were regularly revised and augmented. 

This late 19th century example is notable for the extraordinary growth of the railway network visible on the islands. It is to be noted that the Meiji Restoration only happened in 1869 and only three years later, the Japanese Government had already opened the first railway line between Tokyo and Yokohama. However the level of railway building shown on this map a mere twenty four years later  is extraordinary. 

Original colour. [SEAS5567]