The use of symbols for natural disaster monuments on the government's digital maps is expanding five years after their launch, as the nation aims to apply lessons learned from past calamities.
As of March, the number of these symbols put on maps maintained by the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI) has surpassed 2,000 nationwide, enhancing their role in disaster prevention education.
Historically, many regions have maintained stone monuments inscribed with details of past disasters and the lessons learned, although some have been neglected over time. The importance of these monuments was highlighted following devastating torrential rains in western Japan in 2018, prompting the GSI to launch a formal initiative in March 2019 to publicize them with symbols on the digital maps.