Mid 1600s - Map of Matsushima (松嶋絵図) by Murakawa Clan

"Illustrative Map of Matsushima (松嶋絵図) " is the first precise and accurate map of today's Takeshima/Liancourt Rocks/Dokdo in the world. (Takeshima was called Matsushima then.) It is considered to be made around 1656. If you compare it with modern geographical/topographical maps, you can see how accurate and detailed it is. This is the one of the critical and concrete evidences of Japanese sovereignty over Takeshima/Dokdo from Mid 17th century.

Murakawa and Ohya clan were hunting sealions and harvesting abalones on the island on the way from Ulleungdo with the official licence from Tokugawa Shogunate. The abaloneｓ were presented to Shogunate every year, and the audience to Tokugawa Shogun was specially permitted exceptionally as a civilian tradesman. Murakawa clan, especially, was the one who went to today's Takeshima intensively as a sole destination, but later, Ohya clan did joined the plan.


The topographical map of Takeshima compiled by Geographical Survey Institute (GSI), 2008

Below is the translation of "The analysis of Japanese illustrative maps " by Funasugi Rikinobu (Shimane University)

"Illustrative Map of Matsushima (松嶋絵図)" (photograph) owned by San-in history Museum, Yonago(米子市立山陰歴史館)

The map illustrates Matsushima(松嶋 : today's Takeshima/Liancourt Rocks/Dokdo) alone precisely. This is the first time that the existence of an old map which depicts Matsushima alone were confirmed. It was presented at the exhibition in the Museum in 1987 and was photographed then. It's considered to be Murakawa clan's(村川家) property.

The Matsushima was depicted more precisely than the one in "Takeshima Illustrative Map by Kotani Ihei"(1696 c.a.). On the upper-right of the map, it recorded the circumference of Matsushima and the distance from Oki islands and Takeshima(Ulleundo) as follows. "Matsushima Illustrative Map, whole circumference of the island is within 1 ri, and the voyage from Oki country to Matsushima is almost 100 ris, and the distance from Matsushima to Takeshima is 30 ri.". This means the distance from Oki islands to Matsushima is about 185km, to Takshima is 56 km. According Mr. Sugihara, the illustrative maps which drew Matsushima and Takeshima in mid-Edo era recorded distance from Oki islands to Matsushima as 60 ri (111km) or 80 ri (148), thus it is considered to be made in mid 17 century when Murakawa received the licence for the development for Matsushima.

There is a note "approx. 218m strait(瀬戸長さ弐町)" between eastern island and western island. Three tiny shores are recorded on western island. Two of them are written "tiny shore 22m(小濱拾弐)", and the rest is written "tiny shore about 21m(小濱拾壱間)". The inlets of eastern and western islands are recorded as well. Addition to that, the rocks around Matsushima are also drawn. When you compare it with the sea chart (1:5000) of Dokdo published by Korean National Sea Survey Institute in 2001, inlets and rocks around the islands are almost identical.

According to Mr. Sugihara(杉原副座長）,a vice- chairperson of research group, Murakawa was the one who had been hunting sealions and harvesting abalones actively on the shore of Matsushima. And the inlets and rocks were important places for harvesting those marine products as sealions and abalones.

There had been no other precise illustrative maps such as this so far. Besides, there were absolutely no old Korean maps which illustrates Matsushima , and in detail as such. Therefore, this is one of the important historical resources to prove Japan had engaged in economical activity on Matsushima(松嶋 : today's Takeshima/Liancourt Rocks/Dokdo).

This is from the Final report by Takeshima Research Center, 2007 (竹島研究会最終報告書 2007)
"Takeshima in Illustrative Maps and Maps Vol.II " (絵図・地図からみる竹島（II）)　
3. The analysis of Japanese illustrative maps ( 3.日本側作製の絵図の分析) by Associate Professor Funasugi Rikinobu (Shimane University) (舩杉力修 島根大学法文学部・歴史地理学)

Courtesy of Web Takeshima Research Center.