Changes

*''Published: [[1785]]''

*''Published: [[1785]]''

*''Author: [[Hayashi Shihei]]''

*''Author: [[Hayashi Shihei]]''

*''Publisher: [[Suharaya Ichibee]]''

*''Publisher: [[Suwaraya Ichibei]]''

*''Japanese'': 三国通覧図説 ''(Sangoku tsuuran zusetsu)''

*''Japanese'': 三国通覧図説 ''(Sangoku tsuuran zusetsu)''

''Sangoku tsûran zusetsu'', or "Illustrated Outline of the Three Countries," is a publication written by [[Sendai]]-based Confucian scholar [[Hayashi Shihei]] describing the three "countries" closest to Japan - [[Ezo]], [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû]], and Korea - with an eye to national defense, and especially coastal defense, through providing a resource to inform others about geography, and about these countries.

''Sangoku tsûran zusetsu'', or "Illustrated Outline of the Three Countries," is a publication written by [[Sendai]]-based Confucian scholar [[Hayashi Shihei]] describing the three "countries" closest to Japan - [[Ezo]], [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû]], and Korea - with an eye to national defense, and especially coastal defense, through providing a resource to inform others about geography, and about these countries.

It was published by [[Suharaya Ichibee]] in [[1785]], a publisher based at [[Nihonbashi]], Kitamuro-chô sanchôme. The illustrated book is accompanied by five maps, depicting respectively Ezo, Ryûkyû, Korea, the [[Ogasawara Islands]], and the region as a whole (i.e. Japan and all its nearest neighbors). The latter is said to be the first Japanese map to depict all of Japan in a single color, distinguishing from other countries by different colors. A single shade of blue covers all of Kyûshû, Shikoku, Honshû, and part of Hokkaidô, the blue fading gradually into yellow at the fuzzy border between [[Matsumae han]]-controlled areas of Ezo and the [[Ainu]] lands beyond Japanese control. Yellows, blues, and reds are used to depict foreign lands, including the Ryûkyûs, the Ogasawara Islands, China - with several provinces labeled, Russia, and northern islands including [[Sakhalin]] and the [[Kuriles]].

It was published by [[Suwaraya Ichibei]] in [[1785]], a publisher based at [[Nihonbashi]], Kitamuro-chô sanchôme. The illustrated book is accompanied by five maps, depicting respectively Ezo, Ryûkyû, Korea, the [[Ogasawara Islands]], and the region as a whole (i.e. Japan and all its nearest neighbors). The latter is said to be the first Japanese map to depict all of Japan in a single color, distinguishing from other countries by different colors. A single shade of blue covers all of Kyûshû, Shikoku, Honshû, and part of Hokkaidô, the blue fading gradually into yellow at the fuzzy border between [[Matsumae han]]-controlled areas of Ezo and the [[Ainu]] lands beyond Japanese control. Yellows, blues, and reds are used to depict foreign lands, including the Ryûkyûs, the Ogasawara Islands, China - with several provinces labeled, Russia, and northern islands including [[Sakhalin]] and the [[Kuriles]].

The five maps are titled as follows:  

The five maps are titled as follows: