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 ([email protected])
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History of GIS activities in Japan
★： Main Cause
of Start of GIS
activities
Information
Superhighway
Initiative（USA :1993）
The effectiveness
of GIS was
recognized
★Hanshin-Awaji
Earthquake (1995.1.17)
★Executive Order
Early period
of Computer
(President Clinton
in 1994)
Development of
model
Niigataken-chuetsu
Earthquake (2004.10)
Long-term plan
1996.12
Gradually beginning
to use of GIS
1974
Start of
Digital
maps in
Japan
1994.4
ISO/TC211
Sumatra Earthquake
(2004.12)
ＧＩＳ Action
Program 2002-2005
Next
ＧＩＳ Plan
●the GIS Liaison Committee of
Ministries and Agencies
harmonize
★Proposal 1995.1
Maintenance of NSDI
Japanese Standards for
Geographic Information
１０ years
2005
1999.3
1990 1995
1980
Spread
period
1995.9
1991.11
Association
of ＧＩＳ
1960 1970
Infrastructure
formation
period
2000.11
ＩＴ basic
plan
Start point of systematic activities of GIS
2006
2001∼2005
e-Japan Priority
Policy Program
Fig.1 History of GIS activity in Japan
Japanese
Industrial
Standards
Circumstances in Japan
“Japanese Standards for Geographic Information”
Information”
were decided upon by the government.
JIS X 7107
JIS X 7108
JIS X 7109
･
･
JIS X 7105
ＪＩＳ
Compatibility
and tests
･
･
･
･
･
JIS X 7118
JIS X 7131
•19107: Spatial Schemata
•19108: Temporal Schemata
•19109: Rules for Applied
Schemata
•19110: Method of Cataloging
Natural Features
•19111: Spatial Reference by
Means of Coordinates
•19112: Spatial Reference by
Means of Physical
Identifiers
•19113: Quality Principles
•19114: Quality Evaluation
Procedures
•19115: Metadata
•19117: Plotting Methods
•19118: Encoding
•19123: Schema for Coverage
Geometry and Function
•19131: Data Product
Specifications
13 items
Selected
Compliance with
ISO standards
G-XML
ISO/TC211
Geographic information
/Geomatics
Work items
･19101
40 items
･19102
･19103
･19104
･
19105:Compatibility
and Tests
･
･
19107:Spatial
Schemata
Coordination
TC211･
･
Members of domestic
･ groups
committees / working
Joint research (by Geographical Survey
Institute and private enterprises)
JIS X 7199:
International Organization
for Standardization
Integration / Proposing
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
･
･19120
･
･
･19136：ＧＭＬ
･19137
･
・19140
Fig.2 Relationship between JSGI and ISO/TC211
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International standards
Relationship with international standards
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
Superposition, processing,
analysis, and simulation of
geographical information
Government
Integration
Area
marketing
ＧＳＩ
City planning
Disaster
countermeasures
Vehicle
operation
management
Exclusive
industrial district
7%
Commercial
district
21%
Exclusive residential
district, Class 1
4%
Internet
Land
management
Data
Prefectures
Cities, towns
Company
Exclusive residential
district, Class 2
4%
NPO
Mobile
Car navigation
system
Neighborhood
commercial district
21%
Residential district
43%
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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