Meiji Map of Tokyo 19th Century

The Japanese have a far different take on cartography than we know from mapmakers in the West. Take for instance this hand-colored 1891 Meiji map of Tokyo. Antique Japanese maps draw on the country's papermaking and woodblock printing tradition. This fascinating map of Tokyo was issued as a pocket map and provides details down to the street level.

When I worked for Panasonic in the 1980s, I was promised a trip to Japan that never came to fruition. When I saw this beautiful, vividly color antique map of Toyko, it reminded me of that missed opportunity. It's a shame that promise wasn't kept. I wonder if I'll ever visit Toyko or anywhere in Asia for that matter. Conversely, Panasonic found it necessary to send me to Detroit--for three weeks-- in February.