Land survey of the Kanagawa Foreigners' Treaty Boundary in the 1870s

Abstract

In the treaty of amity and commerce between Japan and foreign countries in 1858, an article defined the boundary of the permissible travel area as 40 km from foreign settlements. It was called "Foreigners' Treaty Boundary." In Yokohama, the western boundary was the Sakawagawa River east of Odawara. However, in the 1870s after the Meiji Restoration foreign representatives claimed that the distance was uncertain. Therefore the Japanese Ministry of Interior carried out an accurate land survey for redefinition. The results showed that the initial boundary did not require redefinition and the foreigners were satisfied. This paper reviews the results of that survey and shows that the land survey contributed to the progress of Japanese survey techniques and was an important step in the nationwide triangulation survey.