Rare Books
"Black and white kawaraban or newsletter showing the newly-established foreign trading post at Yokohama (Kanagawa) in 1859. The shoreline extending from Kanagawa to Kawasaki is shown at the bottom of the print, with western and Japanese ships in the bay, while the central sections show the residences of foreign merchants, the wharf, and offices of Japanese officials. Buildings are depicted in detail, with miniature human figures in the streets and on the decks of ships. A small inset section at the top left of the print provides a schematic map of the foreigners' quarters. The names of the officials responsible for negotiations with the foreigners is given in the bottom right quarter of the image, together with their clan crests. Names of the five countries permitted to trade; United States, Russia, England, France and the Netherlands, are listed along the right edge. The names of Japanese imperial officials responsible dealing with the foreign trade are listed. The names of seven Japanese 奉行 Bugyō's, often translated as commissioner or magistrate, are listed on the right. Of these men, five were commissioners who were in charge of trade and diplomatic relations titled 外國御奉行[Gaikoku on bugyō], another carries the title 御軍艦奉行[Go gunkan bugyō] a commissioner of warships and the seventh 神奈川御奉行 [Kanagawa on Bugyō] was an overseer of the port of Kanagawa. The town plan shows a government organisation called 御運上所[On unjōsho] located next to the residence of foreigners. This organisation functioned as the tax office, a customs office, and also dealt with import/export trade. This kawaraban also shows the relative sizes of Yokohama's roads for example the widths of the main commercial road, back roads and a new road are all given."
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