This is a superb example of the popular Sugoroku Japanese board game that was popularized during the Edo period, and is similar to the western "Snakes & Ladders" game. The gameboard is a map of Japan, with cities marked in blue squares and red ovals as stops along the routes, which follow the railroad routes at the time, marked in red lines. The map is filled with pictorial imagery showing important sites, products and industries common in each region, and figures in traditional costumes. The surrounding waters include numerous types of sea life. Looming above the map are airplanes and a large hot air balloon filled with Japanese children, proudly waving flags. The map is oriented to the northwest, as was common for railroad maps of the time period. A charming and rare game.

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Condition: A

Clean and crisp, issued folding, with one small hole near the whale at left.