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Imagining Japan

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1275Cipangu
1543Cross, gun, kingdom
1641Secluded, yet knowable
1853Black Ships, open ports
1868Picturesque and modern
1905Model power, yellow peril
1931Empire and enemy
1945Occupied ally, economic rival
1991Soft power, familiar Japan

An engraved 1752 map of Japan by Emanuel Bowen, showing the islands, surrounding seas, place names, and a decorative title cartouche.

IMAGINING JAPAN

How the West imagined Japan, 1275–2025

Begin with Cipangu

An island imagined before it was encountered.

1752An Accurate Map of JapanEmanuel Bowen · Wikimedia Commons source record

1275
1543
1641
1853
1868
1905
1931
1945
1991
2025