Chinese Empire & Japan, c.1910

Chinese Empire & Japan, c.1910, 22 cm × 18 cm

This compact early 20th-century map, measuring 22 cm × 18 cm, depicts the Chinese Empire and Japan around 1910, a period of significant political and social change in East Asia. China is shown in the final years of the Qing dynasty, with provincial boundaries, major rivers, and key cities—including Pekin (Beijing), Shanghai, Nanjing, and Canton (Guangzhou)—carefully indicated. Peripheral regions such as Manchuria, Mongolia, Tibet, and Xinjiang are also delineated according to contemporary Western cartographic knowledge.

Japan is represented during the late Meiji era, highlighting its principal islands—Honshu, Hokkaido, Shikoku, Kyushu—and major urban centres. The map reflects Japan’s growing modernisation, showing transport links and ports that illustrate its emerging industrial and international significance.

Produced in a compact format suitable for reference or educational use, the map likely served as a handy atlas insert or study aid, balancing readability with detail. It is a historically valuable piece, capturing Western perceptions of East Asia just before the fall of the Qing dynasty and Japan’s consolidation as a modern nation-state.

This map exemplifies early 20th-century cartographic style, combining functional geographic information with a visually clear and accessible layout.