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July 05, 2025
 

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MAPS

Takako Yamashita, a descendant of a former Japanese resident of the Russian-controlled islands called the Northern Territories, seeks to preserve memories of life on the isles through the creation of pictorial maps.
JAPAN
Aug 21, 2024
Memories of Russian-held isles preserved through pictorial maps
The maps feature the names of residents on each house and colorful illustrations of flora and fauna, as well as scenes from daily life.
Japan is divided into many different regions, sometimes distinguishing areas of the country by old borders or climate.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Aug 16, 2024
When it comes to Japan, do you know your 'Kanto' from your 'Kanto-koshin'?
Japanese people tend to travel to their hometowns around this time of year, and asking where they went is an easy conversation starter.
Inscriptions on a disaster monument in Miyako, Iwate Prefecture (left), can be seen clearly when illuminated using a smartphone app "Hikari Takuhon" developed by researcher Hideyuki Uesugi.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jul 30, 2024
Number of natural disaster monuments on state map increasing in Japan
Stone monuments inscribed with descriptions of the damage caused by past natural disasters and lessons from forerunners have been erected since ancient times.
For someone who grew up in a country with a system of street names, finding an address in Japan — or worse: trying to guide someone else to one — is no easy task at first.
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
May 7, 2024
Lost in translation? No, lost in Japan’s maze of streets.
Anyone who experienced wayfinding in Japan before the age of map apps will remember how much sleuthing was required to get to your destination.
A monument for the Great Kanto Earthquake on the premises of the education ministry in Tokyo
JAPAN
Apr 23, 2024
Use of disaster monument symbols expanding five years after launch
As of March, the number of these symbols put on maps maintained by the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan has surpassed 2,000 nationwide.
Visual AI allows us to see more than meets the eye when looking at cities like Tokyo.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 22, 2023
AI will show us the future of cities, if we guide the way
Visual AI can help us better see our cities, from crime rates to property values, but only human intelligence can tell the forest from the trees.
The Nagor fishing harbor in Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu, India, in 2016
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Aug 28, 2023
Indian fishermen use smartphones to map a vanishing way of life
Port and power plant development plans could beach a flotilla of boats that trawl the waters for mackerel and sea bass.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Sep 12, 2020
As Myanmar erases names of destroyed Rohingya villages, U.N. map-makers follow suit
On maps produced in 2020 by the U.N. mapping unit in Myanmar, which it says are based on Myanmar government maps, the site of the destroyed village is now nameless.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 3, 2018
Online map plots the many spots that boast a view of Mount Fuji
The Japan Map Center on Monday released an online guide to locations where Mount Fuji can be viewed, showing that the nation's renowned 3,776-meter volcano can be observed from as far as 300 km away.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health / ADVANCES IN PROGRESS
Jan 11, 2016
Japan moves to develop homegrown GPS
With the proliferation of smartphones and other devices, the use of GPS — the global positioning system — has become ubiquitous. From pinpointing one's location to getting directions online, satellite-based navigation is driving the interactive use of online maps.
CULTURE / Books
Jul 11, 2015
'Cartographic Traditions in East Asian Maps' explores an uncharted region of study
East Asian mapmakers began rendering their corner of the globe centuries before they considered the wider world. "Cartographic Traditions in East Asian Maps" examines these geographical depictions made by the artisans and bureaucrats of China, Korea and Japan.
COMMUNITY / Voices / OVERHEARD
Aug 23, 2014
Lost in direction
American traveler #1: Why don't you just use your GPS?
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Dec 27, 2013
Researcher sees digital maps as key to understanding, alleviating crises
'Maps put into pictures what policymakers traditionally see in numbers,' says Elise Montiel-Welti, a researcher at Doshisha University who produces digital maps to explain global crises. 'They also put us in perspective: We can see how small we are in the face of huge disasters or conflicts.'
Japan Times
CULTURE / Japan Pulse
Oct 2, 2012
Today’s J-blip: Virtual Japanese trainspotting
Want to see where all the trains in Japan are at once? There's a map for that.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Japan Pulse
Oct 15, 2009
The fruits of sharing a love of art
Tokyo Art Beat set their data free and something wonderful returned, in the form of an iPhone-app guide to the city's museums and galleries.
LIFE / Digital / Japan Pulse
Sep 17, 2009
Google Japan explains Street View adorably
Google Japan gets cute with its explanation of Street View.
A prophesied disaster (likely) won’t strike Japan this weekend
A viral manga prediction of a July 5 disaster has gripped Japan with anxiety and triggered an economic impact, but experts warn that while such dates are unreliable, the threat of a massive earthquake remains real. 
Magnitude 5.5 earthquake jars Tokara Islands amid flurry of seismic activity
A strong quake struck off the Tokara Islands on Thursday afternoon, with the island chain having recorded around 1,000 earthquakes since a burst of seismic activity first began on June 21.
Japan to require flight passengers to keep power banks within sight
The transport ministry has announced new regulations requiring flight passengers to keep power banks within sight to mitigate fire risks while on board planes.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Residents of Tokara Islands begin evacuation as seismic swarm continues
Details about evacuations from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecture, is seen written on a whiteboard in the city of Kagoshima on Thursday.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Flag football facing challenges and opportunities ahead
Japan’s women’s flag football team at the 2025 International Bowl in Los Angeles in June. The sport is enjoying continued growth in the country.
From Hokusai’s Great Wave, shinkansen to One Piece: a cultural treasure box for Lego Japan
Michael Ebbesen, general manager of Lego Japan, says Lego bricks based on Japanese culture have a rich global appeal and are sellable around the world.
With farmed fish, RelationFish swims against the tide in fine dining
Chef Hideaki Matsuo (middle) and the staff of Oseto Suisan Fisheries prepare to check on their sustainably farmed fish.
As Southeast Asia heats up, a Japanese cooling giant sees a major opportunity
An employee of Daikin Cambodia explains the use of different tools during an air conditioner installation training session in Phnom Penh. Daikin is one of Japan’s oldest air conditioning companies, but as Japan’s population falls, the firm is keying in on overseas growth.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji
By Alex K.T. Martin

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