七島問答 / Records of the Seven Islands

This is a copy of a record of a survey conducted on Shichi-tō ("Seven Islands," present-day Toshima Village, Kagoshima) by Shirano Kaun, the Prefectural Governor of Kagoshima, in compliance with an order given by Watanabe Chiaki, the Prefectural Governor of Kagoshima. It describes the geography, sea ports, the population and number of houses, streets, Shinto shrines, customs, geological features, forests, products, tax imposition, etc.,of the islands, including Kuchi no Shima, Naka no Shima, Gajajima, Tairajima, Suwa no Se Jima, Takarajima, and Akusekijima. Since the book was copied on ruled sheets of paper with Kagoshima Prefectural letterhead, it was probably made by a prefectural officer. The book Nansei Shotō Shiryōshū vol.1 (2007) includes the entire text of a photocopy of this same book with drawings, but this one in Sakamaki-Hawley Collection does not have any drawings. (Updated on September 1, 2017)