Sofus Christiansen · 1970
This is a review of the Atlas of Japan (1970), edited by R. Isida. The atlas comprises 73 maps with trilingual text in English, French, and Spanish, priced at 20 USD. The reviewer notes that the atlas centers on economic geography, covering 46 traditionally significant topics, mostly based on prefectural statistics. Social geography is underrepresented (only 3-5 maps), physical geography topics are conventional, while economic maps show more creativity, such as those depicting commuting fields of Hanshin, Tokyo, and Keihin. Despite drawbacks like inconsistent map scales and paper quality, the atlas is deemed an indispensable reference for Japanese geography given its rich content and reasonable price, with hopes for future updates.
高崎正義 · 1970
This is an academic book review of the Atlas of Japan — physical, Economical and Social —, published in 1970 by the International Society for Educational Information. The atlas, subsidized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, aimed to accurately introduce Japan's actual conditions to overseas audiences. It was edited by Ryūjirō Ishida, with contributions from multiple specialists in their respective fields. The main body consists of 73 multi-colored maps (at scales from 1:4,000,000 to 1:10,000,000) and 64 pages of explanatory text in English, French, and Spanish. The review notes that the atlas surpasses previous commercial publications in source material scrutiny, cartographic expression, and reproduction techniques. The selection and composition of map plates are generally appropriate, with particular commendation for the clear presentation of Japan's official position on territorial issues such as the Northern Territories. While a few plates show mismatches between content density and map scale, the overall composition is unified and successfully presents Japan's actual conditions in a fair manner. The review concludes that, in the absence of a Japanese national atlas, this publication will serve as a quasi-national atlas for overseas audiences for the foreseeable future.
E. A. Keen · 1971
E. A. Keen reviews Ryujiro Michida’s Atlas of Japan: Physical, Economic, and Social (1970), produced through a government–academic initiative to provide multilingual reference works on Japan. Keen praises its thematic coverage, cartographic quality, detailed spatial data, and English, French, and Spanish commentaries, noting unusual topics such as daily metropolitan population flows. Criticisms concern population data that overlook the available 1965 census, misleading English titles and legends, unfamiliar place-name romanization, and the lack of a place-name index and detailed locator maps. He recommends the atlas for libraries and considers it suitable for introductory courses on Japan’s geography, although its price limits textbook use.
