GIS present situation in Japan

Mamoru KOARAI 1)

Keywords: GIS Action Program, Standardization, Internet provision, Integrated GIS, Web GIS

History of GIS in Japan

In Japan, maintenance of digital maps started in 1974, but systematic maintenance of digital maps started in
1995. Based on the lessons from the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake of January 1995, GIS Association
proposed the government to establish NSDI. Therefore, the national government established the GIS Liaison
Committee of Ministries and Agencies in September 1995, and the strong activities for GIS development
started systematically in Japan. Geographical Survey Institute (GSI) is the secretariat of the Liaison Committee
with the National and Regional Planning Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT).
At first, "the Long-term Plan for Building a National Geospatial Data Framework and Promoting the Use
of GIS" was formulated by the GIS Liaison Committee. This Long-term plan has 2 phases, such as
Infrastructure formation period and Spread period. After that, "the e-Japan Priority Policy Program" was
formulated by the IT Strategy Headquarter in March 2001, and "GIS Action Program 2002-2005 (GIS-AP)"
was developed by the GIS Liaison Committee in February 2002, to harmonize "the e-Japan Priority Policy
Program."
In GIS-AP, big pillars of aim are these 3 fields.
(1) Increasing the efficiency, speed and quality of administrative services.
(2) Creating new business models and new jobs in private sectors.
(3) Provide low-cost, high-quality services for residents.

Current activity on GIS in Japan (from follow-up on GIS-AP)

GIS -AP has five Maine purpose as follows:
1. Standardization related to NSDI and pioneering uses by government
2. Establishment of systems and guidelines to help promote the digitization and flow of geographic information
3. Promoting the digitization and provision of geographic information
4. Full-scale use and support of GIS
5. Improve efficiency of government and enhance quality of government services using GIS
About "standardization," "Japanese Standards for Geographic Information (JSGI)” is established as a
standard of the national government. Globally, formulation of standardization of geographic information is
carried out in the ISO/TC211 about items more than 40. In Japan, as a results of joint research with private
sectors, GSI made JSGI as standards in Japan based on ISO about basic standard 13 items such as application
schema, spatial reference, encoding, data quality and meta data (specifications of data), to be necessary for
smooth exchange of data. Each items of JSGI become Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS), as soon as an
international standard is settled in ISO. Geographic information complying with JSGI includes the following,
among others: Digital Map 25000, Digital Map 2500, Spatial Digital Information, and Residential block level
Location Reference Information. In addition, to promote use of standards, GSI developed the Japan Profile for
Geographic Information Standards (JPGIS) in March 2005, as a practical profile of JSGI.
About "establishment of System and Guidelines," "Guidelines for the Provision of Government

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Geographic Information" was published by the GIS Liaison Committee in April 2003, and "Collection of Q&A
regarding the above-mentioned guidelines" was published in June 2004. Various problems to must be solved
were shown in this guideline, such as protection of personal information, infringement of copyright, secondary
utilization and so on.
About "promoting the digitization and provision of geographic information," 36 data sets have been
digitized (all geospatial data frameworks consist of 49 data sets). Periodic updating of core geographic
information (Digital Map 2500, Digital Map 25000 and Residential block level Location Reference
Information) had been done. For promotion of Internet provision of geographic information, 21 sets of spatial
data framework have been provided. Provision is implemented by using a web mapping system (Digital Map
2500, Digital Map 25000, and Spatial Digital Information). The contents of Digital Map 2500 and 25000
(Geospatial Data Framework) are transportation network, drainage network, coastal line, administrative
boundary, geodetic control point and geographic name. Digital Map 2500 also includes footprints of public
buildings, parks, boundaries between road and residential area and so on. Digital Map 25000 has been
developed for whole country with revision of paper topographic maps and distributed since 2000 by GSI.
Digital Map 2500 has been developed for urban area by compiling National Large Scale Maps since 1995 by
GSI. GSI also publishes 50m grid DEM from 1:25000 scale maps for whole country, 10m grid DEM from large
scale maps for active volcanoes and 5m grid DEM from LIDAR data for flatland.
About "full-scale use and support of GIS," cooperation with local public bodies and assistance to local
areas has done for the development of integrated GIS. All prefectures and 39% municipalities have installed
individual GIS, and only 14 prefectures and 12% municipalities have installed integrated GIS for
multi-purposes.
About "improve efficiency of government and enhance quality of government services using GIS,"
realization of high-quality services using GIS and Web GIS is promoted in all administrative fields including
disaster prevention, urban planning, transportation, environment, and education, such as earthquake disaster
prevention information system (DIS) and Web GIS applications("Statistics GIS Plaza," "Disaster Prevention
Information Providing Center," "Cyber Japan Web System," etc.) By "Cyber Japan Web System," people can
use the latest map information of GSI as a background map to their own geographic information and provide it
at their web sites.

New activity on GIS in Japan

In September 2005, "the Committee on the Advancement of Satellite-Based Positioning (Quasi-Zenith
Satellites for Positioning Services) and GIS" was established to maintain close contact and cooperation among
organizations involved with positioning and GIS, and to promote comprehensive and effective use of these
systems. In conjunction with this, the GIS Liaison Committee was abolished, but its work has been continued
by the new committee. Next GIS program from 2006 will be planed by the Committee. Now, new act for NSDI
is under discussion in the Diet.

1) Geographic Information Analysis Research Division, Geography and Crustal Dynamics Research Center, Geographical
Survey Institute, 1 Kitasato, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture, 305-0811 JAPAN (koarai@gsi.go.jp)

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 History of GIS activities in Japan
★： Main Cause Information The effectiveness
of Start of GIS Superhighway ★Hanshin-Awaji of GIS was
activities Initiative（USA :1993） Earthquake (1995.1.17) recognized
★Executive Order
Early period (President Clinton
of Computer in 1994) Development of Niigataken-chuetsu
model Long-term plan Earthquake (2004.10)
1996.12

Sumatra Earthquake
Infrastructure Spread (2004.12)
Gradually beginning
to use of GIS formation period
1974
period ＧＩＳ Action
1994.4 Program 2002-2005
Start of ISO/TC211 1995.9 Next
Digital ＧＩＳ Plan
maps in
1991.11 ●the GIS Liaison Committee of
Japan Association Ministries and Agencies
of ＧＩＳ
harmonize
★Proposal 1995.1 Japanese Standards for １０ years
Geographic Information
Maintenance of NSDI
1999.3 2005 2006
1960 1970 1980 1990 1995 2000.11 2001∼2005
ＩＴ basic e-Japan Priority
plan Policy Program
Start point of systematic activities of GIS
Fig.1 History of GIS activity in Japan

Relationship with international standards International Organization

for Standardization
Japanese
Industrial Circumstances in Japan ISO/TC211
Standards “Japanese Standards for Geographic Information” Geographic information
Information”
were decided upon by the government. /Geomatics

JIS X 7107 Work items

•19107: Spatial Schemata
JIS X 7108 •19108: Temporal Schemata ･19101 40 items
JIS X 7109 •19109: Rules for Applied 13 items ･19102
Schemata
･ •19110: Method of Cataloging Selected ･19103
ＪＩＳ Natural Features
International standards

･ •19111: Spatial Reference by

･19104
JIS X 7105 Means of Coordinates ･
•19112: Spatial Reference by Compliance with
Compatibility Means of Physical
19105:Compatibility
and tests Identifiers
ISO standards and Tests
•19113: Quality Principles ･
･ •19114: Quality Evaluation ･
･ Procedures
•19115: Metadata
19107:Spatial
･ •19117: Plotting Methods Schemata

･
•19118: Encoding
•19123: Schema for Coverage
TC211･
Coordination ･
･ Geometry and Function Members of domestic
•19131: Data Product ･ groups
committees / working
JIS X 7118 Specifications
･
JIS X 7131 ･19120
Joint research (by Geographical Survey
･
Institute and private enterprises)
･
JIS X 7199: G-XML Integration / Proposing ･19136：ＧＭＬ
･19137
･
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
・19140

Fig.2 Relationship between JSGI and ISO/TC211

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Sample of Digital Map 2500 Sample of Digital Map 25000
Fig.3 Sample of Geospatial Data Frameworks published by GSI

Mechanism of “Cyber Japan”

= “Denshi-Kokudo”
Integrated use “Denshi Kokudo”
Software
Denshi-Kokudo Web system Data
Superposition, processing,
analysis, and simulation of
geographical information ＧＳＩ
Land City planning
management
Government
Integration
Internet

Prefectures
Disaster
Area countermeasures
marketing
Cities, towns
Vehicle
operation
management
Exclusive
industrial district
7%
Exclusive residential
district, Class 1
4%
Company
Exclusive residential
district, Class 2
Commercial 4%
district
21%

NPO
Neighborhood
Mobile Car navigation commercial district
21%
Residential district
43%

system

Fig.4 Concept of Cyber Japan “Denshi-Kokudo”

The Site of the Disaster Situation by

“Niigataken-Chuetsu Earthquake” （GSI）

Fig.5 Sample of Cyber Japan Web system “Niigataken-Chuetsu Earthquake”

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