Inoh Tadataka Museum, Biographical museum in Katori, Japan.
The Inoh Tadataka Museum displays surveying instruments, maps, and personal belongings of Japan's first cartographer who conducted detailed land surveys across the nation. The collection includes over 200 large-scale maps from the Edo period and the tools he used to measure and record the country's geography.
The museum was established in 1961 to preserve the legacy of a surveyor who conducted ten major expeditions across Japan between 1800 and 1816. These journeys resulted in the first comprehensive and accurate maps of the entire nation.
The maps on display reveal how surveying shaped people's understanding of Japan during the Edo period and transformed their view of the country's geography. Visitors can see how this work influenced the way communities understood their own place within the nation.
The museum is located near Sawara Canal and opens Tuesday through Sunday with accessible facilities for all visitors. The interior layout makes it easy to view the collections without difficulty.
The maps on display were created through actual field surveys and demonstrate accuracy that remains impressive by modern standards. This precision reveals the advanced measurement techniques that were developed in the early 1800s.
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