Japanese star map

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Japanese star map by Harumi Shibukawa
Production years	1677

This Tenmon Bun'ya no zu (map showing divisions of the heavens and regions they govern) star map by Harumi Shibukawa (1639-1716) is a woodcut on Japanese native paper with silk borders made in 1677.

Shibukawa was the official astronomer to the Japanese Edo court and, based on his own observations, was responsible for the first major reform of the Japanese lunar calender. It has been suggested that his were the first systematic observations to be made in Japan.

[edit] How this map was made

This rare and important map combines Shibukawa's astronomical observations with concepts from Chinese astrology. In China the twelve Jupiter stations were correlated with the twelve ancient States of China and used to interpret celestial omens. Shibukawa took this concept and applied it to regions of Japan, so scholars could interpret celestial activity and predict events in various parts of the country.

[edit] In the Science Museum's Records

Source: Christie's. Inv. no: 2007-1