Special Exhibition "Traveling Through Late Edo Yokohama with Maps" Announced [Yokohama Archives of History, Yokohama Museum of Urban Development]

Yokohama, which rapidly developed from a quiet farming and fishing village into an international city in just about 15 years after Perry's arrival. The maps drawn in various styles are what convey the trajectory of that transformation to the present day. These include security maps at the time of Perry's arrival, handwritten urban planning maps by the shogunate, colorful bird's-eye views drawn by professional artists, and modern lithographic maps surveyed by foreigners. These diverse and beautiful maps, despite some inaccuracies, mysteriously captivate viewers.

In recent years, research to clarify the origins of Yokohama as historical material through maps has progressed, and new maps related to late Edo Yokohama have also been discovered. This exhibition brings together maps of late Edo Yokohama, using them as a "guide map" to trace Yokohama during this era and unravel the roots of urban Yokohama.

At the exhibition venue, Yokohama residents from across time and space will guide you through late Edo Yokohama. Why not take a journey to the vibrant Yokohama of 160 years ago, using these maps as your guide?

Exhibition Basic Information

Period: July 18 (Sat) - September 27 (Sun), 2026 (Reiwa 8)

Venue: Yokohama Museum of Urban Development, 3rd Floor Special Exhibition Room

Opening Hours: 9:30 - 17:00 (Ticket sales until 16:30)

Closed: Mondays (If a holiday falls on a Monday, the museum will be open and closed the following weekday)

Admission Fee: General 800 yen, Yokohama City residents aged 65 and over, and junior high/elementary school students 400 yen

Organizers: Yokohama Archives of History, Yokohama Museum of Urban Development (Yokohama City Historical Foundation)

Co-organizer: Yokohama City Board of Education

Sponsors: Asahi Shimbun Yokohama Bureau, Kanagawa Shimbun, Sankei Shimbun Yokohama Bureau, Tokyo Shimbun Yokohama Branch, Nikkei Shimbun Yokohama Branch, Mainichi Shimbun Yokohama Bureau, Yomiuri Shimbun Yokohama Bureau, NHK Yokohama Station, tvk, FM YOKOHAMA

Total Number of Exhibits: Approx. 80 items

[Exhibition Structure]

I. The Birth of Yokohama and Its Eve

Yokohama and its surroundings in the early modern period / Perry's arrival / The eve of port opening / Construction of the port settlement / Coastal defense and nautical charts

II. Development of Late Edo Yokohama

Growth of the port settlement / Foreign concessions and facilities / Kanagawa-juku / Wide-area maps of Yokohama / Maps from the Ogasawara family, retainers of the shogunate

III. The Meiji Restoration and a Port City

Great fires and regime change / The village during the late Edo and Meiji Restoration periods / Yokohama in the early Meiji era / Maps of the port city

Exhibition Highlights and Key Exhibits

"Yokohama Aranoezu" (Rough Map of Yokohama) - Deposited at the Yokohama Archives of History, 1860

1 The first exhibition to bring together maps of late Edo Yokohama

This is the first exhibition themed around maps of Yokohama drawn during the late Edo period. This exhibition will display maps from this period together to provide a detailed introduction to the origins of Yokohama.

2 New discoveries explored through handwritten maps

This is a map showing which houses of Yokohama villagers were used for lodging by samurai from the Matsushiro Sanada clan (Nagano City), who were in charge of security in Yokohama at the time of Perry's arrival. It is a very valuable map as it reveals the names and approximate addresses of the Yokohama villagers, and can be considered Yokohama's first "residential map."

"Yokokohama-mura Okata Kazu Nin Suwariwari no Zu" (Map of Lodging Arrangements for Security Personnel in Yokohama Village) - Yokohama Archives of History Collection, 1854

3 Publication of a catalog comprehensively including late Edo Yokohama maps

An exhibition catalog will be published, comprehensively including maps of Yokohama drawn during the late Edo period. This is a definitive collection of Yokohama map materials with detailed explanations.

Includes 127 items (including maps of areas other than Yokohama). A4 size, 160 pages.

Introduction to Related Programs - Enjoy the exhibition more deeply with a variety of events -

I. Exhibition-Related Lectures

Venue: Yokohama Archives of History Auditorium - Participation Fee: 1,000 yen per session -

Capacity: 40 people per session (Reservation required, lottery if applications exceed capacity)

● August 1 (Sat) 14:30 - 16:00 *Application deadline: July 24, 17:00

"Kyoaki Iwahashi and Yokohama"

Lecturer: Shuichiro Takeda (Chief Curator, Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of History)

Application: https://teket.jp/11314/70924

● August 29 (Sat) 14:30 - 16:00 *Application deadline: August 12, 17:00

"Maps of Late Edo Yokohama"

Lecturer: Masaki Yoshizaki (Chief Researcher and Exhibition Manager, Yokohama Archives of History)

Application: https://teket.jp/11314/70925

II. Special Lecture

"Enjoying Yokohama from Late Edo to Post-War Through Maps and Charts - Focusing on Kannai -"

Venue: Yokohama Archives of History Auditorium - Participation Fee: 1,000 yen - Capacity: 40 people (Reservation required, lottery if applications exceed capacity)

Date and Time: August 22 (Sat) 14:00 - 16:00 *Application deadline: August 5, 17:00

Lecturers: Nao Okada (Former Chief Researcher, Yokohama Museum of Urban Development), Shuichiro Takeda, Masaki Yoshizaki

Application: https://teket.jp/11314/70927

III. Exhibition Guided Tours

Exhibition staff will explain the highlights of the special exhibition. (Approx. 45 minutes per session, no reservation required)

Date and Time: July 19 (Sun) 15:00 -, August 15 (Sat) 15:00 -, September 21 (Mon, Holiday) 15:00 -

Venue: Yokohama Museum of Urban Development, 3rd Floor Special Exhibition Room

Participation Fee: Free (Special exhibition admission ticket required)

Schedule for Press Preview

Date and Time: July 17 (Fri), 2026 14:00 - (Reception from 13:30)

*Details on how to apply will be announced later.

d64384-270-ecd1adf1cae1f174c2d00f7f44d4f4f3.pdf