– Edo period (1603-1868) printed map, likely mid-19th century (Tenpō/Kōka era) – Folding map format showing Japan's major highways and travel routes – Historical document offering insight into Edo-period travel, cartography, and daily life Summary: This is an original Edo period edition of Dai Nihon Hayabiki Saimizu Ezu (Great Japan Quick-Reference Detailed Illustrated Map), a practical travel guide widely used by merchants, pilgrims, and officials navigating Japan's road network during the late Edo period. Published in Nara by the Ezu-ya Shōhachi workshop, these maps combined geographical information with practical travel details—distances between post stations, notable landmarks, and major routes radiating from Edo (modern Tokyo). The map is printed on Japanese paper and backed with fabric for durability, a common practice for folding maps intended for frequent use. This example shows signs of age including tears, staining, and general wear consistent with a document that has survived nearly two centuries. It represents a tangible link to Japan's pre-modern travel culture and offers collectors a window into how people moved through and understood their landscape before railways and modern cartography. Some maps guide you from place to place. Others transport you back in time. This Edo period road map does both—it charts physical routes while revealing the rhythms of pre-modern Japanese life. The Dai Nihon Hayabiki Saimizu Ezu was part of a broader tradition of Edo period road maps designed for practical use. Unlike decorative maps intended for display, these were working documents—folded and carried, consulted at post stations, annotated by travellers. The Ezu-ya Shōhachi workshop in Nara, located near the Great Buddha temple, specialised in producing such maps for pilgrims visiting the region and merchants travelling along the Tōkaidō and other major highways. The "quick-reference" (hayabiki) designation indicates that the map was organised for ease of use, allowing travellers to quickly locate routes, estimate distances, and identify landmarks. During the Edo period, Japan's road network was extensive and well-maintained, with five major highways (the Gokaidō) radiating from Edo to connect the capital with distant provinces. Travel was common—not only for official business but for pilgrimage, commerce, and leisure. Ordinary people undertook pilgrimages to Ise Shrine, Mount Fuji, or the temples of Kyoto and Nara, often walking for weeks. Maps like this one made such journeys feasible, providing essential information in a compact, portable format. This particular map shows the entire Japanese archipelago, with routes marked in black lines and major towns indicated by name. The bird's-eye perspective—common in Japanese cartography—combines elements of pictorial representation with schematic clarity. Mountains are suggested by stylised peaks, rivers by flowing lines, and urban centres by clusters of characters. The overall effect is both functional and visually engaging, a testament to the cartographer's skill in balancing information density with legibility. The map is mounted on silk or cloth backing to prevent tearing during folding and unfolding—a technique that speaks to its intended use as a practical tool rather than a purely decorative object. Over time, the paper has developed the warm, aged patina typical of Edo period documents: foxing, discolouration, and areas where tears have been repaired or where the fabric backing shows through. These signs of wear are not flaws but evidence of the map's journey through history. One can imagine it tucked into a traveller's bundle, consulted at roadside inns, perhaps even annotated with notes about weather or road conditions. For collectors of Japanese historical documents, cartography enthusiasts, or anyone drawn to the material culture of pre-modern travel, this map offers both aesthetic appeal and historical significance. In contemporary interiors, it functions beautifully as a wall-mounted piece—framed behind glass to protect the fragile paper while allowing the intricate details to be appreciated. Its earthy tones and dense, text-rich surface bring a sense of layered history to spaces that value authenticity and patina. Condition reflects the map's age and use: visible tears (some repaired, others open), staining throughout, creasing from repeated folding, and general wear. The backing fabric remains largely intact, though areas of separation or fraying may be present. The printed information remains legible, and the overall structure is stable enough for careful display. This is a document that has survived nearly two centuries of handling, storage, and the passage of time—each mark a small testament to its resilience. Edo period maps are held in major collections worldwide, including the Library of Congress, the British Library, and Japanese institutions such as the National Diet Library. They are valued not only as cartographic artefacts but as windows into the social, economic, and cultural life of pre-modern Japan. For Western collectors, they offer a tangible connection to a world that existed long before modern transportation or communication transformed our relationship to distance and place. If you've been seeking a piece of history that you can hold in your hands, that carries the weight of actual use and the passage of real time, this Edo period road map invites you to trace the routes of travellers who walked these roads centuries ago. 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