KAWASAKI, Hantaro.

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

Karafuto chishitsu gaisatsu-zu. = Preliminary Geological Map of Karafuto. First edition of this map of Sakhalin, mounted as a hanging scroll. It was originally produced for Chigaku Zasshi (Journal of Geography) Number 222 and shows geological formations along with the locations of indigenous settlements.The southern half of the island of Sakhalin became part of the empire of Japan in 1905, when it was annexed from the Russian empire after the Russo-Japanese War. It was incorporated as the prefecture of Karafuto in 1907 and remained under Japanese control until 1945. This map hails from the early stages of the prefecture's administration, when much was not known about its geography, ethnography, and natural resources. Many academics visited at this time, including Kawasaki Hantaro. He had worked as an engineer and civil servant at the offices of Mine Supervision, Civil Administration, and Agriculture and Commerce since 1905, collecting detailed knowledge and experience of the island and its people. This map was first released along with Tsubakiyama Manato's June 1907 article Minami Karafuto ni kan suru shinkan chosa houkoku zusho ("Report on new investigations of south Sakhalin"). It shows the geological stratification of the island, along with the locations of coal, crystal, and gold deposits. It also highlights Ainu and Orok settlements and fisheries.

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