Plate 3. Japan and Korea. Extension to Formosa and Lu-Chu Islands captures East Asia at a pivotal 1923 moment, marrying scholarly intent with refined cartographic art. Issued by the Institute of Social and Religious Research, the plate surveys Japan and Korea with extensions southward to Formosa (Taiwan) and the Lu-Chu (Ryukyu) archipelago. Full-color hypsometric tints stratify the landforms, unlocking the drama of mountain arcs and coastal shelves at a glance. An elegant cartouche anchors the composition, while crisp typographic conventions and disciplined linework announce a classic early-20th-century style. The result is a map that informs as it beguiles, revealing a region where political boundaries, physical geography, and sea lanes align and diverge in telling ways.

Created in the immediate post–World War I era, the map reflects the geopolitical order of the 1920s—Japan’s colonial administration in Korea (Chosun) and its possession of Formosa are plainly inscribed. Territorial boundaries, administrative notes, and careful city indexing offer an at-a-glance reading of authority and allegiance. Maritime nomenclature registers regional perspectives, with the Sea of Japan/Eastern Sea and the Yellow Sea shaping the peninsular and insular littorals. Urban centers are emphasized and interconnected by a dense skein of transport lines, attesting to industrial consolidation and imperial logistics. Together, these choices make the sheet a concise dossier on power, policy, and place in interwar East Asia.

The physical narrative is equally commanding. Hypsometric tints grade from low coastal plains to the crumpled highlands of the Japanese Alps, while the Chugoku Range rakes westward toward the Inland Sea. Rivers and watershed geometries organize settlement belts and corridors of movement, their courses marching seaward to the Pacific. The Ryukyu chain arcs delicately between Kyushu and Formosa, a stepping-stone realm underscored by the map’s bathymetric shading of surrounding waters. Named seas—the Yellow Sea, the Sea of Japan/Eastern Sea, and the open Pacific—frame the islands and peninsula, reminding the viewer that East Asia’s history is as maritime as it is continental.

Cartographically, the sheet exemplifies a disciplined regional projection typical of the period, preserving shape and bearing across a mid-latitude sweep. Insets isolate Hokkaido and Kyushu, resolving scale disparities and drawing attention to their distinct physiography and settlement patterns. Symbol conventions distinguish roads, railways, and maritime routes with legible economy, while political boundaries read clearly without overwhelming the relief. The palette is instructive as well as handsome: land elevations progress through calibrated tones, and coastal shallows modulate into deeper blues, guiding the eye naturally from summit to sound. The overall composition balances exacting detail with a poised, uncluttered grace.

That harmony of message and method reflects the Institute of Social and Religious Research’s educational mission. Their interest in social science emerges here as geography in service of understanding: the sheet fuses physical terrain with human systems to illuminate how mountains, rivers, and seas scaffold states, cities, and commerce. Annotations on territories and colonial regions contextualize the infrastructure below—rails threading valleys, roads skirting coasts, shipping routes knitting archipelagos. As a historical document, it distills the tensions and ambitions of a transforming East Asia; as an artwork, it stages them with luminous clarity. For the discerning collector, it is both time capsule and lens.

Countries and regions on this map

• Japan
• Korea (Chosun)
• Taiwan (Formosa)
• Lu-Chu Islands (Ryukyu Islands)
• Hokkaido
• Kyushu
• Yellow Sea
• Sea of Japan
• Pacific Ocean
• Eastern Sea
• Chugoku Mountain Range
• Japanese Alps
• Roads
• Rail systems
• Maritime routes

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Hypsometric tints illustrating elevation levels
• Detailed labeling of major cities and geographical features
• Inset maps of specific regions, such as Hokkaido and Kyushu
• Representation of bodies of water, including the Yellow Sea, Sea of Japan, and surrounding oceans
• Mountain ranges and significant topographical features marked clearly
• Transportation routes, including roads and railways, indicated with distinct lines
• Annotations providing insight into historical territories and colonial regions

Historical and design context

• Year created: 1923
• Mapmaker/Publisher: Institute of Social and Religious Research (noted for scholarly social-science work and educational materials)
• Classic early 20th-century cartographic style with intricate detail and a balance of artistic and functional elements
• Elegantly designed cartouche incorporating the title
• Emphasis on political and physical geography, highlighting territorial boundaries, urban areas, mountains, and rivers
• Reflects the geopolitical context of East Asia in the 1920s, including colonial interests and territorial claims
• Serves as both a historical document and an artistic representation, offering insights into early 20th-century cartographic practices

Looking for a particular place? Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, ask our workshop to check before you order.

Detailed maps are especially rewarding at larger sizes, where names, boundaries and decorative features have more room to be appreciated. Use the close-up preview and size guide to choose the right scale for your wall.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 18x24in (45x60cm) version of this map.

Where personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. See personalised map examples.

Every piece is printed to museum-grade archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte paper. Choose an unframed map print, framed map or canvas using the finish options above. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.

With its rich detail and strong sense of place, this map makes a considered gift for a new home, anniversary, retirement or anyone with a personal connection to the area shown. Still deciding? Explore our collection of rare old and vintage maps to discover another place, period or style.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.