Experimental release of Japan map in multilingual notation

GSI has been working on making the easy-to-understand maps for overseas visitors by settling "Notation Rules of Geographical Names, etc. in English" and new map symbols for overseas visitors (hereinafter referred to as “the rules”), to support providing overseas visitors with trouble-free trip and safe and comfort stay in Japan.

This time, GSI has released an online map in multilingual notation adopting above mentioned rules on an experimental basis in order to expand use of the rules and find issues for improvement of the maps for overseas visitors. The map has released in English, French, Korean, (both traditional and simplified) Chinese, and Romanized Japanese.

Employing vector tile format (in Japanese),the map provides foreign visitors with easy-to-understand information by displaying annotations and symbols in each language, and also by reading geographical name with its correct pronunciation in Japanese through a web browser.

Users are required to comply with the “GSI Website Terms of Use” to use these vector tiles that adopt the rules. GSI hopes that the purpose of this experimental release is well understood and that many people use the map.

Click each language to display it in that language. Users enable to switch a language on the map by clicking "Language" at the top left corner of the screen.
English, French, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and Romanized Japanese

Display example: Map in English notation

Translation of Japanese notation into English according to Notation Rules of Geographical Names, etc. in English. (in Japanese)
Of the Japanese notation on GSI Maps, geographical names of natural features, residential geographical names, and traffic facilities names are mainly translated.

Of the Japanese notation on GSI Maps, geographical names of natural features, residential geographical names, and traffic facilities names are mainly translated. Translation is automatically converted from English or Japanese.

1. French
is automatically converted based on conversion rule from English.
Conversion rule for French (PDF: 166KB in Japanese)

2. Korean
is automatically converted based on conversion rule from Japanese.
Conversion rule for Korean (PDF: 277KB in Japanese)

3. Simplified Chinese
is automatically converted based on conversion rule from Japanese kanji (Chinese character).
Conversion rule for Simplified Chinese (PDF: 303KB in Japanese)

4. Traditional Chinese
is automatically converted based on conversion rule from Japanese kanji (Chinese character).
Conversion rule for Traditional Chinese (PDF: 304KB in Japanese)

5. Romanized Japanese
Transportation facilities are converted based on conversion rule from English, and geographical names of natural features, residential geographical names are converted from Japanese.
Conversion rule for Romanized Japanese (PDF: 108KB in Japanese)

Map symbols used in this map (see appendix) consist of the symbols used in GSI Maps and the symbols developed for overseas visitors.

1. A voice-reading function and displaying information
By clicking map symbol on the map, a type of symbol and its name, if it has, will be displayed, and clicking the geographical name, the geographical name and its supplementary information will be displayed. Moreover, users could hear the correct Japanese pronunciation of geographical names through a web browser voice-reading function. Please note this function may not be usable at your browser. (Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Safari are confirmed operation.)

Example (in English)


Type of symbol and its facility name


Type of symbol

2. Switching a language / displaying legends

Users enable to switch a language on the map by clicking "Language" button.
Users enable to display the legend link for each language by clicking "i" button next to respective languages.

The purposes of this experimental release of multilingual notation maps are improving the convenience of foreign visitors to Japan and understanding technical issues for providing multilingual notation maps.