As part of WOW Week, we held a workshop themed "What Are Historical Maps?"

Maps are all around us in our daily lives. However, because we use them so routinely, we rarely have the opportunity to think about their history and significance. In this workshop, students had the chance to "handle" authentic historical maps and learn about local history and culture through a variety of maps created between the mid-Edo period and the mid-Showa era.

The students were fascinated by the historical maps, many of which they were seeing for the first time. While comparing them with modern maps, they carefully observed differences in cartographic styles, the characters used, depictions of buildings and landforms, as well as the texture and color of the paper itself.

Students also used digital mapping tools such as Google Earth to compare Kyoto’s cityscape of the past with that of today. As they searched for roads and rivers that once existed, along with historical sites that remain today, they raised questions such as, “Why has this place survived until now?” and “What kind of lives did people live in the past?” These questions sparked lively discussions among the participants.

By exploring Kyoto’s past through historical maps, students discovered traces of history embedded in the present-day landscape and gained a deeper understanding of how the region has developed and changed over time.

The workshop provided a valuable learning opportunity, encouraging students to view maps not only as historical documents but also as reflections of the lives and cultures of the people who created and used them.