Mount Kurama Tourist Map, Kyoto

This Japanese tourist map from the Taishō to early Shōwa period depicts Mount Kurama and Kurama-dera Temple, a sacred mountain site north of Kyoto. Created in the chōkanzu, or bird’s-eye view, tradition, it presents the landscape from an elevated perspective, combining practical wayfinding with an idealized panoramic view of the surrounding mountains, temples, shrines, and town below. The richly colored composition follows winding mountain paths through dense green forests and temple grounds accented with cherry blossoms. A decorative scene at lower left shows a kimono-clad visitor admiring the blossoms, while the railway diagram at lower right reflects the growing importance of electric train travel in bringing urban visitors to historic pilgrimage destinations. Small labels throughout identify important sites along the route. Originally designed as a folding guide that could be carried by travelers, the map combines traditional Japanese landscape imagery with the expanding tourism culture of early twentieth-century Japan. The reverse includes additional Japanese text and period photographs of attractions around Kurama, making the piece both a practical travel guide and a vivid record of how ancient religious sites were presented to a new generation of modern tourists. Size: 7.5" x 21.25" Condition: Very Good, Age-appropriate wear. Paper toning in accordance with the print's age. Marks/stains as per photo. Wear around the edges and minor paper loss might be present in some prints. Please refer to each print's image to get a better understanding of the condition.