1. Geospatial Information
State Of The Map 2012 Authority of Japan
September 6th – 8th, 2012
Tokyo, Japan
GSI’s Activities
for
Geospatial Information Applica
tions
Hiroshi Murakami
Director-General of Geospatial Information Department
Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI)

2. Geospatial Information
Overview Authority of Japan
1. GSI and its Mission
2. Programs
3. Digital Map Products and Services
4. Potential Cooperation with VGI Initiatives

3. Geospatial Information
1. GSI and its Mission Authority of Japan
• GSI: Geospatial Information Authority of J
apan.
– Formerly, Geographical Survey Institute.
• Original body was established in 1869.
• Responsible for national surveying and ma
pping including law enforcement of the Sur
vey Act.

4. Geospatial Information
1. GSI and its Mission Authority of Japan
• Survey Act:
– Standard geodetic datum.
– Regulations for surveying and mapping proje
cts conducted by public organizations to ensu
re the high quality of results and avoid duplica
ted efforts.
– Licensed surveyor.
Public Organizations (80%)
Spending
Private
Companies
GSI (1%)
(20%)

5. Geospatial Information
1. GSI and its Mission Authority of Japan
GSI’s Mission
• Facilitate applications of geospatial information th
rough the following activities on surveying and m
apping so that the users will find them valuable, a
nd hence contribute to the economic growth and t
he improvement of the quality of life of the peopl
e.
– Develop, maintain and distribute fundamental geospati
al information;
– Develop an environment that facilitates efficient develo
pment of a variety of geospatial information, and allow
s anybody to easily use it; and
– Cooperate with both domestic and international bodie
s.

6. Geospatial Information
2. Programs Authority of Japan
Geodetic Survey
VLBI Observations Horizontal Datum
Tide Observations
Vertical Datum

7. Geospatial Information
2. Programs Authority of Japan
Geodetic Survey
N. American
Plate
Eurasian
Plate
Pacific
Ocean
GNSS-based Plate
Control Station
Philippine Plate 2 cm/yr

8. Geospatial Information
2. Programs Authority of Japan
National Mapping
Maintaining topographic maps at multiple scales:
1:5M, 1: 1M. 1: 200K, and 1:25K (Whole country)
>=1:2.5K ((Urban areas)

9. Geospatial Information
2. Programs Authority of Japan
National Mapping A new legislation in 2007, the
NSDI Act, prescribes that the
government is to develop an
accurate map dataset as the
standard reference to the other
geospatial information, and make
it freely downloadable to the
public.
Fundamental Geospatial Data (FGD)

10. Geospatial Information
3. Digital Map Products and Services Authority of Japan
Primary Products
(i) Fundamental Geospatial Data (FGD)
Control points,
Transportation,
Boundaries,
Buildings, Waters
RMSE:
=< 2.5m (in urban areas)
=< 25 m (outside)
Elevation
RMSE:
=< 1 m (in urban areas)
=< 5 m (outside)

11. 3. Digital Map Products and Services
Geospatial Information
Authority of Japan
Primary Products
(ii) Digital Map (National Fundamental Data)
Contents: FGD + Additional geospatial features
Distribution: Online download or DVD (Vector data)
(iii) Digital Topographic Map 25000
Contents: FGD + Additional geospatial features
Distribution: Online download (PDF)

12. 3. Digital Map Products and Services
Geospatial Information
Authority of Japan
Web Map Service of GSI

13. Geospatial Information
3. Digital Map Products and Services Authority of Japan
Geospatial data overlaid
on Web Map

14. Geospatial Information
3. Digital Map Products and Services Authority of Japan
Web map site developed
by local governments

15. Geospatial Information
3. Digital Map Products and Services Authority of Japan
Applications that read
GSI web map via the Internet

16. Geospatial Information
3. Digital Map Products and Services Authority of Japan
New version of Web map service
that has better compatibility with
the others and new map design

17. Geospatial Information
4. Potential Cooperation with VGI Initiatives Authority of Japan
Past Experiences with Volunteers
• Updates/errors/improvements on maps
– Infrequent comments/inputs from map users
– “Map Monitors”/“Geo-info Monitors”
– Cooperation with climbers group for the latest
on mountain trails using GPS loggers
Doesn’t exist
New trail

18. 4. Potential Cooperation with VGI Initiatives
Geospatial Information
Authority of Japan
Past Experiences with Volunteers
• Response to the Great East Japan Earthqu
ake
– Volunteer mapping groups
– Sinsai.info
– Emergency Map Team
– Passable/closed road information through crow
d-sourcing
Posted on the web

19. Passable/closed roads
Geospatial Information
Authority of Japan
Car Movement tracked
by Auto Makers
 Passable Roads
Closed Road Information
provided by Government

20. 4. Potential Cooperation with VGI Initiatives
Geospatial Information
Authority of Japan
Cooperation with OSM Foundation Japan
•GSI created an award program on GIS
applications and contents that
incorporate GSI data.
•24 nonprofit organizations contributed
to the program as the nominating
bodies by nominating applications and
contents for the award.
•OSMF Japan volunteered as one of
the nominating bodies.

21. Geospatial Information
4. Potential Cooperation with VGI Initiatives
Authority of Japan
Cooperation with OSM Foundation Japan
• Dr. Furuhashi, Vice President of OSMF Ja
pan, and his colleagues visited GSI in July
and initiated a dialogue to discuss potenti
al areas of cooperation, including:
– Use of GSI’s web map data by OSMF Japan f
or change detection; and
– Secondary uses of FGD by OSMF Japan.
• The dialogue should continue for mutual b
enefits and understanding.

22. 4. Potential Cooperation with VGI Initiatives
Geospatial Information
Authority of Japan
Challenges for Further Cooperation (Personal view)
• Quality of provided information
– Accuracy: positional, temporal, thematic, and
topological (Verification needed?)
• Homogeneity/sustainability
– Inhomogeneous distribution of volunteers?
– Any disruption/discontinuation of activities?
• Disaster response
– Voluntary vs. Preparedness
– Pre-disaster exercises?
– How can volunteers and governments work to
gether?

23. 4. Potential Cooperation with VGI Initiatives
Geospatial Information
Authority of Japan
Summary
• GSI acknowledges important roles VGI will play
for the future in geospatial information applicatio
ns, as they have been internationally appreciate
d, and exemplified by the disaster response to t
he Haiti earthquake and others.
• The dialogue has just started, but many positive
outcomes and mutual benefits are envisaged for
the future, as we work on some outstanding issu
es.

24. Geospatial Information
Authority of Japan
THANK YOU!
Hiroshi Murakami