Book Review and Introduction: Atlas of Japan

Summary

This review assesses the *Atlas of Japan — Physical, Economical and Social* (1970), compiled by the International Society for Educational Information with a grant from Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The atlas was designed to present an accurate picture of Japan to an international readership. It contains 73 map plates at scales ranging from 1:4,000,000 to 1:10,000,000, accompanied by 64 pages of explanatory notes in English, French, and Spanish. The maps cover physical geography (16 plates), urban and population topics (11), agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and land use (19), mining and manufacturing (17), trade (2), transportation (3), culture and education (2), and single plates on income, national parks, and Japan and its surroundings. The editor-in-chief was Ryujiro Ishida, with contributions from numerous specialists and data sourced from government agencies. The review praises the atlas's orthodox and straightforward editorial style, careful selection and treatment of source materials, and superior reproduction quality compared to earlier commercial atlases. A particularly notable strength is the extensive multilingual commentary that not only explains individual maps but also provides detailed historical context, explicitly clarifying Japan's official stance on territorial issues such as the Northern Territories — an approach that contrasts favorably with the ambiguous treatment by other publishers. While the overall balance of map themes and scales is deemed appropriate for the aim of presenting Japan's reality fairly, minor shortcomings are noted: some plates (e.g., Manufacturing Plants, Road Traffic) are overly detailed for their scales, while others (e.g., Fishing Grounds) appear too coarse. In conclusion, the review affirms that in the absence of a national atlas, this volume successfully serves as a quasi-national atlas for overseas audiences, making a valuable contribution to global understanding of Japan.