Illustrated Guide to Kyoto (Kyō-suzume) Possibly 1665

Editor: Here we have Asai Ryoi’s "Illustrated Guide to Kyoto," or "Kyo-suzume," housed at the Harvard Art Museums. It’s a very graphic and compact visual representation; what do you make of the symbols used here? Curator: Consider how maps, even simple ones like this, are never just neutral records. Each mark, each character, is laden with cultural significance. What feelings do you think this invokes? Editor: Perhaps a sense of place and history? Curator: Exactly. And notice the repetition of certain images. What do you suppose is the effect of their reoccurrence? Editor: It creates a sense of visual rhythm, a cultural memory being reinforced? Curator: Precisely. Even in its simplicity, this "guide" carries profound weight. Editor: I see how this little book has so much to say about cultural memory. Curator: Indeed. Visual shorthand can powerfully evoke shared experiences.