Buchbesprechungen: Atlas of Japan

Summary

This is a review of the second edition (1974) of the Atlas of Japan: Physical, Economic and Social, published by the International Society for Educational Information, Tokyo, edited by R. Isida. Compared with the first edition (1970), this new edition incorporates the latest available statistics throughout. Professors A. Ebato (Meiji University) and K. Watanabe (Hosei University) participated in the editorial work. The romanization system has been changed from the official kunrei-shiki to the conventional English spelling, addressing difficulties noted in the 1970 review. A new feature of this edition is an accompanying overview map of Japan at 1:2,000,000 scale (southern islands at 1:3,500,000), which is of particular interest due to the inclusion of projected expressways and high-speed rail lines; it is dated 1974. This updated atlas serves all those seeking information about Japan, and its various thematic maps also offer inspiration for graphic design.