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Softcover. Condition: Very good. Re-carved and corrected edition. A re-carved and corrected edition of one the earliest Japanese-made world maps, by famous Edo period geographer and Confucian scholar Nagakubo Sekisui (1717-1801). The map was based on that of Italian Jesuit priest and one of the founding figures of the Jesuit China missions, Matteo Ricci (1552-1610). Ricci`s original world map in Chinese characters (`Kunyu Wanguo Quantu`) was published in 1602 and introduced the findings of European exploration to East Asia. Nagakubo, considered by many scholars to be the founder of Japanese geography, first published his Japanese edition of Ricci`s map (one of the first in Japan to use longitude lines) around 1785. The title on the title page of this copy reads `Kosei Bankoku Sankai Yochi Zusetsu`. There is no record of this particular edition published by Sakuma in OCLC or Japanese library databases. This is thus a rare unknown corrected edition of one of the earliest Japanese world maps. Original folding `orihon` binding, extremities of wrappers with some wormholing, original title slip intact. Small ex-ownership stamp of famous Japanese mathematician Chiba Tanefusa to margin of map. Stain to lower pastedown, not affecting text. Otherwise in nice condition, and a clear printing. Wrappers blind-stamped with a fish or dolphin motif. 26.5 x 17.8 cm when binding closed, 26.5 x 96 cm when fully opened. Text in Japanese. Used book.…