[Part 1] Japan's first nautical chart, "Map of Kamaishi Port in Rikuchukoku," and the development of Kamaishi [Iwate Prefecture]

Speaking of mapping Japan, Ino Tadataka conducted a nationwide survey in 1799. So, where was Japan's first nautical chart produced? Which port, sea, and background might spring to mind? Personally, I imagine the first nautical chart was of Dejima, an artificial island built as part of the country's isolationist policy during the Edo period, or Uraga (present-day eastern Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture), where Commodore Perry arrived on his black ships at the end of the Edo period

But actually, that's not the case. The first nautical chart in Japan is"Rikuchu no Kuni Kamaishi Ko no Zu", which depicts the present-day Kamaishi Port in Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture.

The process of creating the Japan Sea Chart

During the Azuchi-Momoyama period, when Toyotomi Hideyoshi was in power, the red seal ship trade flourished, and"Portolano charts,"which were used in Europe, were produced in Japan. Japanese sailors"Portolano charts"to travel to distant southern seas such as Luzon (one of the Philippine Islands), Cambodia, and Siam (Thailand).

During the Edo period, Japan was closed to the outside world and travel abroad was prohibited, leading to a period when nautical charts were not needed. Countries that had asked Japan to end its isolation carried out their own surveys and recorded detailed information in their own countries, citing the need for safe navigation. The shogunate became concerned about the national defense of Japan's coastline being revealed by foreigners, and decided to conduct their own surveys and produce the necessary nautical charts

Meanwhile, western and eastern sea routes developed, originating from Sakata Port in Yamagata Prefecture. Many simple and practical route maps for coastal navigation, known"Kaihin Shukozu,"were created and used by ships such as Kitamae-bune.

Twenty-one years after Ino Tadataka, mentioned at the beginning of this article, conducted his nationwide survey, he submitted the "Ino Map," a complete map of the coasts of Japan, to the shogunate. The map accurately measured Japan's coastline, and it is said that the British Navy, which arrived at the end of the Edo period, used this map to create modern nautical charts of the Japanese coast

Map of Kamaishi Port in Rikuchu Province

This"Map of Kamaishi Port in Rikuchu Province"isthe first nautical chart ever produced, published in 1872 (Meiji 5), by the Hydrographic Bureau of the Imperial Japanese Navy (the Hydrographic Bureau was a naval organization responsible for matters related to navigational safety, such as surveying waterways, producing nautical charts, compiling hydrographic records, and observing weather and ocean conditions). The unit of depth used is "hiro" (a unit of measurement at the time, approximately 1.8 meters), and considering the historical context, one can appreciate the hard work of those who came before us.

So why did Kamaishi Port become Japan's first nautical chart?

Kamaishi was an important iron production center

Kamaishi City in Iwate Prefecture is the largest producer of iron ore in Japan, which is essential for steel production, and is also where the Meiji government built a government-run steel mill in 1881

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

The Hashino Iron Mine, a World Heritage Site in Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture, is one of the constituent assets that symbolize Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution!

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/31504

The Hashino Iron Mine and Hashino Blast Furnace Ruins, located in Hashino Town, Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture, were designated a National Historic Site in 1957 and are part of the World Heritage Site "Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining." The registered name is "Hashino Iron Mine." The World Heritage Site "Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining" consists of 23 properties spanning 8 prefectures and 11 cities. The following is a simplified list of the national components: Area 1 - Hagi City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Hagi Reflection...

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It is believed that Kamaishi Port was chosen as the subject port for the first nautical chart because it was an important port at the time as an intermediate supply point between Tokyo and Hakodate, and because it was located just before the construction of a government-run steelworks, which was a time when nautical charts were being produced domestically

The port town, once bustling with eastern shipping, transformed into a steel-making town, and what was once a small town of less than 5,000 people grew to 14,925 in 1911, and at its peak in 1963 to 92,123, making it the second most populous city in Iwate Prefecture after Morioka

Kamaishi City suffered extensive damage during the Pacific War

In 1945, as the Pacific War reached a critical juncture, major cities across the country were subjected to air raids by B29s, and the onslaught spread to regional cities as well. However, in Kamaishi, an industrial city with iron ore resources in the Ohashi district and the only self-sufficient steelworks in the country, the citizens worked hard to increase wartime production, knowing that they would one day be subjected to air raids

In this situation, the United States launched a naval bombardment of Kamaishi City with three fast battleships, two heavy cruisers, and nine destroyers on July 14 of the same year, in order to "destroy Japan's important industries, disrupt transportation, and lower the fighting spirit of the Japanese people."The United States then launched a second naval bombardment on August 9 of the same year with three fast battleships, four heavy cruisers, and ten destroyers

These two naval bombardments and air raids by carrier-based aircraft reduced Kamaishi to a scorched earth, resulting in many casualties and destroying the steelworks' functions　

The number of casualties is still being investigated in Kamaishi City, but the "Kamaishi Naval Gun War Damage Record" published in 1976 listed the names of 753 casualties, and subsequent investigations have now shown that the list of casualties now includes 782

You can see the extensive damage and history of the Pacific War at the Kamaishi City Local History Museum, located right next to Kamaishi Station

Kamaishi City Local History Museum <Information>

• Name: Kamaishi City Local History Museum
• Address: 15-2 Suzukocho, Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture, 026-0031
• Business hours: 9:30~16:30 *Last admission is at 16:00
• Admission fee: 200 yen for adults / 100 yen for groups (20 or more) *Free for infants, elementary and junior high school students, high school students, and those with a disability certificate
• Closed: Every Tuesday *New Year's holiday (December 28th to January 4th)
• URL: https://www.city.kamaishi.iwate.jp/kyoudo/

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Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

[Part 2] Japan's first nautical chart, "Map of Kamaishi Port in Rikuchukoku," and the development of Kamaishi [Iwate Prefecture]

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/32387

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/32114 The Establishment of the Fuji Steel Kamaishi Works In 1950, after the end of the war, Nippon Steel was dissolved as part of the zaibatsu (financial conglomerate) dissolution (a total of 15 zaibatsu, including the four major ones: Mitsui, Mitsubishi, Sumitomo, and Yasuda, were dissolved under orders from GHQ). Several successor companies were subsequently established, one of which was the Fuji Steel Kamaishi Works. The Fuji Steel Kamaishi Works was a blast furnace manufacturer that took over Nippon Steel's steel division. Its crude steel (steel refined in converters and electric furnaces, but before rolling, forging, and other processing) production was second in Japan, rivaling Yawata Steel, another successor to Nippon Steel...

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Editorial staff

I'm a member of the Neft editorial team. I love alcohol, music, and travel, and on weekdays I indulge in drinks after work, and on weekends I travel to nearby places whenever I have free time.
My goal is to one day travel abroad to explore connections with Tohoku for a Neft feature! I work hard every day towards that goal.