Rezensionen: The national atlas of Japan

Summary

This review article examines two recent cartographic reference works. The first, The National Atlas of Japan, published by the Geographical Survey Institute in 1977, represents Japan's first national atlas. The reviewer praises its broad thematic coverage, which includes physical geography, climate, population, economy, infrastructure, and recreation, as well as its generally sound cartographic design. Useful features such as transparent overlays of administrative boundaries and a gazetteer are also welcomed. However, he criticizes the coarse prefecture-level basis for many maps, which limits practical application in economic planning; the inconsistent temporal coverage of data; and the omission of several standard themes, such as commuting flows, industry location measured by output value, and analytical settlement typology. The second work is Winch's Karto-Bibliographie, a comprehensive bibliography of maps and atlases currently available from more than 700 publishers. The reviewer considers it valuable for filling a bibliographic gap, appreciates its current coverage and systematic arrangement, but notes that many entries lack publication dates, reducing its reliability for precise citation. Overall, the review acknowledges both books as significant contributions, while pointing out specific shortcomings.