Ino Tadataka, born into the Ozeki family in the east of present Chiba Prefecture in 1745, was adopted into the Ino family when he was seventeen. The Ino family was a leading merchant in Sawara region in the vicinity of his birth place, but their business was fading at that time. He, however, strived to rehabilitate it with his all business abilities, and retired in his mid-forties, earlier than usual, probably in order to study the necessary subjects for map making. In fact, he began studying astronomy by himself right after the retirement. After the self-education of five years' duration, he moved to Edo, present Tokyo, at the age of fifty. In Edo, he tackled full-scale study under a leading expert on astronomy from a government research body. At long last his postretirement life actually started, that is, he traveled around the country, from Hokkaido down to Kyushu, taking fifteen years from fifty-five to sixty-nine years old. His on-site surveys on foot reached ten times and forty thousand kilometers long, covering the entire coastline of the country. The total costs of the early travels were almost met at his own expense though, that of the latter ones were covered with the government money. Because the then government noticed that his map making skill was the newest and outstanding. He died at seventy-three years old, before the completion of the map of Japan by his apprentices and government officials in 1821. This new map had been used till the beginning of the 20th century. The picture shows a statue of him standing in the grounds of Tomioka Hachimangu Shinto shrine, where is within walking distance of his house in those years. He necessarily visited here for the safe travel for on-site surveys each time.
Licensed tour guide, travel consultant,
Masahisa Takaki.
全国通訳案内士 高木聖久。
