Riku Yamakawa | Reiwa 7 Precious Materials Introduction Exhibition "Maps and Charts"
The Ueda City Ueda Library is holding the Reiwa 7 Precious Materials Introduction Exhibition themed "Maps and Charts" in collaboration with the ancient document study group "Yamanami."Summary
The Ueda City Ueda Library, in collaboration with the ancient document study group "Yamanami," is hosting the Reiwa 7 Precious Materials Introduction Exhibition themed "Maps and Charts" from October 7 to 19, 2025. "Yamanami" is a citizen group that studies and analyzes rare materials from the Edo to Meiji periods held by the library, such as the Kagetsu Bunko, under the guidance of instructor Yukinari Ozaki, exhibiting their findings every two years. The exhibition's theme, "Maps and Charts," explores the desire to overcome the individual's sense of reality and the attempts to capture the world. The display begins with Ueno Takashi's "Shinano Province Sketch Map" (1875), showcasing maps of Shinshu, Basho's travel route, and eventually world maps related to the voyage of the Tenpo Maru, highlighting the contrast between accuracy and illustrative detail in early Meiji world maps. The focus then shifts to maps of Ueda Castle town, suggesting a return from the global view to the individual's perspective. Notably, the text "Shinano Kuni Muranaizushi" explicitly marks the 36th parallel north latitude, reflecting a changing era where the local was understood within a global context. The author concludes that these maps should be viewed not as the world itself but as something that arrived later, and through the process of reading undertaken by "Yamanami"—a process intertwined with daily life—the tempo of the creators and the depicted world is restored, rather than being obscured by analysis that flattens time and strategy.
(Source：artscape)