1835 - "Map of Asia and Small Orient(亜細亜小東洋圖)" shows Takeshima/Dokdo as Japanese territory

The following Japanese map is a "Map of Asia and Small Orient(亜細亜小東洋圖)" by Itamiya Zenbei et al.(伊丹屋善兵衛他), and appeared in an 1835 atlas, the historical map, which was entitled "Map of Local and Successive Emperors in China by Province and County" (唐土歴代州郡沿革地図 ). Those are revised map of Nagakubo Sekisui(長久保赤水)'s. The third one is 1857 version, property of individual in Shimane.

The original atlas and map was made in 1789 by Nagakubo Sekisui, and are stored in Japan's National Diet Library. The maps, original and those revised version, show Ulleungdo (竹シマ = 竹島 - Takeshima) and Liancourt Rocks (松シマ = 松島 - Matsushima) in red, which designated them as Japanese territory.

In 1696, after the dispute on the sovereignty over Ulleungdo between Choson, Bakufu published the ordinance prohibiting voyages to Takeshima ( today's Ulleungdo, not Takeshima/Dokdo). Though Bakufu prohibited (note : not renounced ) two families(Ohya and Murakawa clan) from going to Ulleundo, Matsushima(today's Takeshima/Liancourt Rocks) were not included. Moreover, it is well known that many Japanese kept recognizing both islands within their territory as this map shows through out Edo era.

Sekisui is famous for his "Revised Complete Map of Japanese Lands and Roads" (改正日本輿地路程全図). In this map, both Ulleundo and Takeshima/Liancourt Rocks were accurately described. Unlike Korean, who has no record of landing on the island nor having no accurate information on its location and geography, Japanese, Ohyas and Murakawas in Yonago with official licence, had engaged in economical activity on the island. This map was drawn based on various historical documents like their first-hand knowledges and "Ohshu Shicho Gohki(隠州視聴合記)". Though both islands are not coloured, there is a sentence near Ulleundo that says "to see Koryo (from here) is like to see Onshu (Oki island) from Unshu (east of Shimane prefecture, mainland of Japan).(見高麗如自雲州望隠州) ", quoted from "Onshu Shicho Gohki (隠州視聴合記)"(1667).

Not only it confirms that Nagakubo considered both islands as outside Korean (Koryo) territory, but it also confirms that Nagakubo recognized that the oldest, for both countries, official document (Onshu Shicho Gohki) which mentions about sovereign of the island described Matsushima (present Takeshima/Liancourt Rocks) as Japanese territory.

Korean claims because the maps by Nagakubo left both islands uncoloured, the map shows both islands were Korean territory. However, Migohshima(御号島 : today's Okinoshima(沖ノ島)) in Chikuzen(筑前 : today's Fukuoka) was also uncoloured, it is obvious that both islands were not considered to be Korean territory in fact. Later, the revised versions were started to colour both islands as Japanese territory.

Moreover, Sekisui was in charge of compiling the geographical volume of the "Great Chronicles of Japan"(大日本史 or Dai-Nihonshi) when he worked at the Shōkō Hall (彰考館 or Shōkō-Kan) under President Suiken Tachihara (立原翠軒). The geographical documents were drafted by him. Under the article of 4 of district of Oki country, it says that "in addition, there are Matsushima(today's Takeshima/Liancourt Rocks) and Takeshima(Ulleundo) and those island belong to Oki. (別に松島、竹島があり、これ(隠岐国）に属する（隠岐古記、隠岐紀行、案ずるに隠地郡の福浦より松島に至るには海上６９里、竹島に至るには１００里４町である。韓人は竹島を称して鬱陵島という。すでに竹島といい、松島といい、我が版図となした。智者を待つが知れない。ついては、以て考えに備える" 隠岐国４郡 項)".

From those facts, it is almost apparent that Nagakubo considered both Ulleungdo and Takeshima within Japanese territory.

Nagakubo Sekisui (長久保赤水 1717–1801) is a Japanese geographer, sinologist and astronomer. He was born as a farmer's child in Mito, today's Ibaragi prefecture. Until then, the maps of Japan were more or less clearly indicating the shape of the country and its different provinces.

However, when Sekisui wrote in 1775 his "Revised Complete Map of Japanese Lands and Roads" (「改正日本輿地路程全図」or Kaisei-Nihon-Yochi-Zenzu), he made history by being the first one ever to mention the geographic coordinates. Thanks to this,the shape of Japan was totally known, with the exception of Ezo area (蝦夷地 now Hokkaido 北海道).

On an accuracy level, his work is inferior to that of Inou Tadataka (伊能忠敬) and his "Maps Inou" (「伊能図」or Inou-Zu, 1821) based on location measurements, but Sekisuki's map is a remarkable and fastidious research work since he wrote it by cross-checking previous works on the subject without proceeding to any measurement. The "Maps Inou" were kept secret by the Shogunate and remained unpublished for a long time whereas Sekisui's maps were printed on a large scale. That is why the "Mito Sekisui Maps" (「水戸赤水図」or Mito-Sekisui-Zu) were widespread until the beginning of the Meiji Restoration (1868).

Sekisui did become famous in the geographical field. However, he was also a Sinologist and became the tutor of 6th Mito Lord Harumori (治保) in his last years. Moreover, he was in charge of compiling the geographical volume of the "Great Chronicles of Japan"(大日本史 or Dai-Nihonshi) when he worked at the Shōkō Hall (彰考館 or Shōkō-Kan) under President Suiken Tachihara (立原翠軒).