CJS Noon Lecture Series | Japanese Imperial Maps: Collections of Gaihozu in Japan and in the United States

The word Gaihozu originally meant maps of foreign countries produced by the Japanese military up until the end of World War II. However, this term is frequently applied now to maps of Taiwan, Korea and Kwantung Province produced by its colonial governments. In this presentation, the word Gaihozu denotes both of them. Professor Kobayashi will trace the history of the gathering of geographical information in East Asia by the Japanese military, and investigate the destruction, preservation, and study of Gaihozu in the post-World War II era, drawing upon his research in collections held in various locations in Japan and the United States.

Shigeru Kobayashi is a Professor at Osaka University of Tourism and Professor Emeritus at Osaka University, Japan. He received his M.A. and Ph.D. in literature from Kyoto University. He has extensive teaching experience in Liberal Arts, Literature, and Human Geography, and has taught at Kyushu University, National Museum of Ethnology, and Osaka University. His research interests lie in cultural geography and cultural ecology. His main goal is to understand long-term transition of the relationship between human and environment. He especially focuses on use of resources in agriculture and livestock farming and examines the impact of natural disaster and epidemics.