Open Data Download Sites for QGIS in Japan
What you'll learn
- Major open data download sites available in Japan
Recommended for
- Anyone who wants to create maps using GIS data from Japan
- Anyone who wants to use open data efficiently
Introduction
To create maps or analyze data with GIS, you first need data. You can create data yourself, but using existing open data makes the work far more efficient.
This article introduces the main download sites for open data widely used in Japan.
National Land Numerical Information
National Land Numerical Information is a download site (platform) that systematically compiles open data on Japan's geospatial information, provided by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT). It offers a wide range of GIS data on the national land, such as topography, land use, and public facilities.
National Land Numerical Information Download Site
The site publishes many kinds of data, including administrative area data for all of Japan, land price data, and urban planning data. You can hardly work with GIS in Japan without using it.
The following article explains in detail how to download National Land Numerical Information data.
G-Spatial Information Center
The G-Spatial Information Center is a platform that brings together a wide variety of open data from Japan in one place. It is run by the Association for Promotion of Infrastructure Geospatial Information Distribution (AIGID), a general incorporated association with members from industry, government, and academia. You can search for and download geospatial data provided by local governments, the national government, and private companies.
Top page of the G-Spatial Information Center
You can download data in many formats, such as the registry office map data of the Ministry of Justice, the 3D city models promoted by MLIT (Project PLATEAU), and point cloud data.
The following article explains in detail how to load the Ministry of Justice registry office map data in QGIS.
Fundamental Geospatial Data Download Service
Fundamental Geospatial Data is information that serves as the positional reference in digital maps. The Fundamental Geospatial Data Download Service lets you download 10 basic items, such as building outlines, survey control points, coastlines, administrative boundaries and representative points, and railway centerlines.
You can also download a digital elevation model (DEM) as elevation mesh data. Downloading data requires user registration.
Fundamental Geospatial Data Download Service
Open data catalog sites of local governments
Prefectures and municipalities sometimes publish their own open data.
Try searching the web for a phrase such as “area name + open data.” You may find the open data catalog site for the area you need.
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Open Data Catalog Site
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Open Data Catalog Site
Fujinokuni Open Data Catalog (Shizuoka Prefecture)
These sites publish data in many formats besides GIS data. So it helps to use the dataset search to filter by GIS data file formats.
Conclusion
This article introduced the main open data sites that help you use GIS in Japan.
A variety of data sources are available, including National Land Numerical Information, the G-Spatial Information Center, the Fundamental Geospatial Data Download Service, and the open data catalog sites of local governments. Making good use of this data lets you create maps and analyze data efficiently.
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