The role of publishers guild members in publishing the maps of disaster areas in early nineteenth century Japan: A case of the 1802 floods of the Yodo river

Abstract

This paper analyzes how the woodblock print maps of disaster areas were printed and revised by publishers who possessed the publication rights in the early nineteenth century, when the publisher's guild operated. Sekka suison muramura kaiseizu, the map of the flooded area around the Yodo river in Settsu and Kawachi provinces, was published in Osaka after the floods of July 1802. Bibliographic analysis shows that the map went through three editions. Four publishers who were members of the guild officially printed the third edition. This occurred after one of the publishers bought the woodblock from another publisher, who did not have the license to publish but had printed the first and second editions. To enhance the credibility of the information, the publishers even indicated the name of the map maker who worked with the Osaka Machibugyo-syo, a department of administration of Osaka, and Settsu and Kawachi Provinces. In addition, one of the four publishers appealed to the guild to prevent another publisher from issuing a similar map of the flooded area before the release of the third edition. The former had the license to publish maps of the Yodo river and Osaka certified by the guild, which the latter did not possess. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, when the demand for disaster information was growing, the members of the guild dealt with the disaster information in great detail and with great accuracy. They handled the maps and geographical books, for which they held licenses to publish, and endeavored to control the rights to issue disaster information by publishers who were not members of the guild.