Cherry Blossom Season on Google Maps

Google has released a special Cherry Blossom Season Street View Guide to Japan. The guide highlights some of the best Street View images found on Google Maps in Japan, including the most beautiful Cherry Blossom images.

Using the guide it is possible to explore a number of Japanese cities. The Street Views for each city are organised into a number of categories, including 'sights', 'lodging', 'restaurants' and 'shopping'. These categories include a number of new Street View images taken inside shops, hotels and restaurants.

Via: Google Lat Long

Japan's Disaster Areas - One Year On

New Satellite Imagery of Japan’s Disaster Areas

Minami Sanriku Town, Miyagi - imagery from 2011 on the left and 2012 on the right

Google has released new satellite imagery of Japan on the one year anniversary of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami. The new imagery covers much of the north-eastern coast.

If you view the imagery in Google Earth you can use the historical imagery time-slider to view the satellite imagery from before the earthquake with the imagery taken just after the disaster and also with the new imagery added today.

Via: Google LatLong

SXSW - Making Your Maps Beautiful

Chris Broadfoot and Josh Livni gave a presentation on Making Your Maps Beautiful at the SXSW conference in Austin yesterday. The video of the talk is well worth a look.

I especially liked the animated San Francisco taxi data map. Hopefully Chris will post a link to that map at some point and we'll be able to view the actual map live.

Fukushima Real-Time Radiation Map

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan has released a real-time map of radiation measurements in Fukushima Prefecture. The Japan Radiation Monitoring Map uses Google Maps to show the radiation levels measured by monitors throughout the Fukishima Prefecture.

The measurements displayed on the map are updated every ten minutes. The map uses a marker clustering system to show how many radiation monitor measurements are available at different locations. If you click on a marker all the measurements from that point can be viewed in the map sidebar.

Street View Japan - The Inside Story

The Japanese Street View Gallery is a great collection of some of the most interesting places in Japan, as captured by Google Maps Street View. The collection includes some great new indoor Street Views.

The new Street View locations take us inside a number of temples, churches and even deep underground inside the Japanese Akiyoshido caves. Why not take some time out today from your busy schedule and make a virtual visit to the amazing Shisen-dō zen gardens?



If you are at all interested in art then you should also view famous Japanese artist Hokusai's stunning ceiling painting of a phoenix at the Gansho-in Temple.

Japan Street View - After the Earthquake

Google has updated the Street View imagery in the areas of north-eastern Japan affected by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. More than 44,000 kilometers of the affected region now has new 360-degree panoramic imagery available through the Street View feature in Google Maps.


Onagawa, Oshika District - after the tsunami


The same view - before the tsunami

Google have also released a special website, called Build the Memory, where you can compare the before and after Street View images of the towns affected by these events.

Build the Memory really is a powerful reminder of the effect of this disaster on the homes, businesses and lives of the Japanese people. Let's hope that in a couple of years Google can update the Street View imagery again to show these towns and communities rebuilt and thriving again.

Via: Google LatLong

Welcome to Indoor Google Maps

Indoor floor plans and maps are now available for many airports and shopping malls for users of Google Maps 6.0 for Android.

Where available detailed floor plans automatically appear when you open Google Maps in your Android phone. As usual the 'blue dot' will appear on the floor plan to show your current location within several meters.

When you move floors in a building the floor plan will even automatically update to display which floor you’re on.

Initially floor plans are available for a number of malls, airports and transit stations in the U.S. and Japan. You can see a detailed list of participating locations here.

Google have also created a Floor Plans website where business owners can upload their floor plans and make them available on Google Maps.

Via: Google LatLong

Japanese Radiation Levels on Google Maps

Safecast was created one week after this year's Japanese earthquake in order to build a radiation sensor network of static and mobile sensors around Japan.

So far Safecast has collected over 750,000 data points which they have made accessible through a number of useful Google Maps. The Safecast Map depicts a heat map of the radiation readings. It is possible to select individual squares on the map and view the average readings.

Safecast have been driving across Japan in order to take radiation level readings. The data form each trip can be viewed on its own Google Map. The Safecast trips maps can be searched by location. In addition Safecast are aggregating radiation data from government and other sources. This data can be viewed on the Aggregate Map From All Sources.

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Three New Twitter Google Maps

Foller.me is a new application that can show you all your Twitter followers on a Google Map.

As well as showing the locations of all your followers Foller.me also provides a word-cloud of your recent Tweets, displays your recent hash tag use and displays who has recently mentioned you in a Tweet.


CandiTweet.com displays the latest Tweets from the 2012 presidential candidates on a Google Map.

To view the latest Tweets from a candidate users can click on the candidate's map marker or on their name, listed below the map.


TweetMapping is a Japanese Google Map that lets you search for geo-related Tweets.

Users can enter any search term and view all Tweets that mention the term around the world. Although the instructions are given in Japanese the map actually works with any language (for example it will work with a search for 'coffee', 'コーヒー' or 'café').

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Typhoon Tracking with Google Maps

Agora's Digital Typhoon - Track Forecast Map tracks tropical cyclones in and around Japan. The map shows the historical tracks of current typhoons and also shows their predicted path.

The map is currently showing the paths of typhoon Roke and Sonca. When the map first loads an animation of the typhoons' path is displayed on the map. Different coloured markers indicate the typhoon's wind speed at different points along its path.

The numbered red map markers show the predicted path of a typhoon. Each marker includes a radial polyline showing the probability circle of the typhoon's location. You can also click on the markers to view the predicted wind speed.

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After the Bomb - Hiroshima Panoramas

360Cities has posted five amazing and shocking 360 degree panoramas of Hiroshima in Japan, taken just six months after the USA dropped an atomic bomb on the city.



Panning the photos around 360 degrees and viewing the total destruction as far as you can see powerfully conveys the effect that the bomb had on the city. According to Wikipedia '4.7 square miles (12 km2) of the city were destroyed (and) Japanese officials determined that 69% of Hiroshima's buildings were destroyed and another 6–7% damaged.'







The panorama taken by Shigeo Hayashi clearly shows what is now the Hiroshima Peace Memorial. Last week Google released imagery of the Peace Memorial that allows you to view the interior of the memorial on Google Maps Street View.



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Japanese Castles on Google Maps

Daniel O'Grady's excellent Japanese Castle Explorer has been updated to take advantage of all the new wonderful Street View imagery available for Japan.

This year the Street View trike has been very busy in Japan capturing a lot of beautiful new off-road imagery, particular in the grounds of some of Japan's castles.

The Japanese Castle Explorer is a great map that shows the locations of Japan's most famous (and plenty of lesser known) castles. The map allows you to view Japan's castles in Google Maps satellite view. Now it is also possible, where available, to view the castles in Street View.

The map is available in English and Japanese versions. You can view an example of the Street View at Himeji Castle (use the link to 'Other Castle Panoramas' in the sidebar to navigate to view other castles in Street View).

Japanese Castle Explorer

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New Street View in Japan

The Street View trike has been very busy in Japan. A lot of beautiful new off-road imagery has been added to Google Maps in Japan.

The imagery includes new Street Views of temples, golf course and theme parks. I've spent a little time this afternoon on a virtual tour of Japanese tourist locations and managed to put together this little collection of Street Views.

I'm sure I've missed a lot of the imagery captured by the Street View trike in Japan ... tell me what I've missed in the comments.

Street View Japan

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Historical Map Collections

One of the most popular uses of the Google Maps API since it was launched six years ago has been as a tool to view historical maps. The David Rumsey Collection, with its huge collection of historical maps, obviously stands out.

However it does not stand alone.

In the last six years Google Maps Mania has reviewed historical map mashups from the Netherlands, the UK, the USA, France, Japan and many other countries around the world. Here is a round-up of some of the best historical map we've seen:

David Rumsey Google Map Collection

The David Rumsey Google Map Collection contains an amazing 120 historical maps overlaid on Google Maps. For, example, the screen shot above shows an 1832 map of London overlaid on the current Google Map of London.

Highlights of the new maps include the first accurate survey of Yosemite Valley, California, from 1883, maps of Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, New York, Washington DC, Denver, Chicago, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Calcutta, Lima, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Beijing, Tokyo, Kyoto, and more – all from times ranging from the 18^th to the 20^th centuries.

Also See

HyperCities - collection of worldwide historical maps
Maps of Edinburgh, 1765-1945
Historiekaart - Historical Dutch maps from 1829 to 1949
Utrecht van Boven
Amersfoort 750 op de Kaart
Atlas of Historic New Mexico Maps
Historical Maps of Tokyo
Historical Maps of Paris
Henry Hudson 400 - US historical maps
PhilaPlace - Philadelphia
Retromap - historical maps of Moscow

Have we missed any historical maps mashups? If so - tell us in the comments ...

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Japanese Radiation Wind Map

Fukushima Wind Map

This Japanese Google Map displays wind predictions around the Fukushima power plant. The prediction data is taken from the Japanese Meteorological Association.

The map includes a slider control that allows you to view the predicted wind direction and speed at different times. If you move the slider to the right you can view the predicted wind directions. If you move the slider to the left you can view the wind predictions for the past few hours.

The map is based on a predicted model so the wind speeds and directions will be different on the ground. You can view the real-time wind direction on this Google Map from the same developers.

Also See

• Japan Radiation Maximum by Prefecture - a radiation readings map using data from System for Prediction of Environment Emergency Dose Information (SPEEDI)
• RDTN.org Japanese Radiation Levels - another map showing Pachube radiation feeds
• Greenpeace Map of Radiation Measurements - Google Map of radiation levels in Japan taken by Greenpeace radiation experts
• Japan Geigermap - a map of Japanese Geiger counter readings

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Radiation Readings on Google Maps

Japan Geigermap

Pachube, probably the leading platform for the 'Internet of Things', is providing access to the feeds produced by Japanese Geiger counters registered with them.

Using this data Japan Geigermap has produced a Google Map. The map uses markers that show at a glance the Geiger counter reading. The markers are all colour-coded to show how the reading measures against the average public space Geiger reading for Japan.

Also See

• Japan Radiation Maximum by Prefecture - a radiation readings map using data from System for Prediction of Environment Emergency Dose Information (SPEEDI)
• RDTN.org Japanese Radiation Levels - another map showing Pachube radiation feeds
• Greenpeace Map of Radiation Measurements - Google Map of radiation levels in Japan taken by Greenpeace radiation experts

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Send Your Support to Japan

Messages for Japan

Google have created a website using the Google Translate and Google Maps API's so that people can express their sympathy and support for the people of Japan.

With Messages for Japan you can write a message of support to the Japanese people. Your message will instantly br translated into Japanese using the Google Translation API and placed on a Google Map.

The map shows the locations of those who have sent messages. If you click on any of the map markers you can read the submitted messages of support. The messages can also be viewed in a non-map based visualisation.

Via: Google Blog

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Greenpeace Radiation Map

Greenpeace Map of Radiation Measurements

Greenpeace are calling for the Japanese government to widen the evacuation area around the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Greenpeace radiation experts took readings beyond the evacuation zone and found levels that they say are high enough to require evacuation beyond the official zone.

Greenpeace has created a Google Map of their readings taken on the 26th and 27th March. The map shows "radiation levels of up to ten micro Sieverts per hour in Iitate village, 40km northwest of the crisis-stricken Fukushima/Daiichi nuclear plant, and 20km beyond the official evacuation zone. These levels are high enough to require evacuation."

Via: Le Technoblog du LAC

Also See

Japan Radiation Maximum by Prefecture
RDTN.org Japanese Radiation Levels

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Japanese Air Flows on Google Maps

Shared Air

The Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic & Space Sciences at the University of Michigan has created this Google Map that shows the air flow to a number of Japanese cities. The purpose of the map "is to illustrate whether the air arriving in select locations has previously been near the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant."

To view the air direction record for a city you just need to click on its map marker and select a date from a calendar. Trajectory lines for the wind on that day are then displayed on the map. The yellow overlay represents the probability of an upwind region's potential to influence air quality at this location on your selected day.

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Radiation Levels Mapped - Updated

Japan Radiation Maximum by Prefecture

The UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, warned today that the situation remains 'very serious' at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Many Japanese citizens are therefore obviously worried about radiation levels.

This TargetMap creation uses Google Maps to show the real-time radiation levels by prefecture. The data comes from the the System for Prediction of Environment Emergency Dose Information(SPEEDI). The results shown are the maximum values recorded in the latest update.

RDTN.org Japanese Radiation Levels

RTDN have created a Google Map of radiation level readings in Japan with data from Pachube and Marian Steinbach.

Each marker on the map displays the radiation level and the time of the reading. RTDN are also looking for people to submit their own accurate readings to the map, which you can do via a short form.


To provide context for these map you should also check out O'Reilly Radar's Open Street Map visualisations of radiation levels in Japan. The O'Reilly maps compare two days of recent radiation data with the normal radiation levels in Japan.

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Google Maps for Japan

The Google Crisis Response Team has released a number of Google Maps in response to the recent events in Japan. The Traffic Performance Map uses data provided by Honda to show which roads have been recently usable.



The Shelter Map uses data provided by the newspaper Mainichi to show the locations of shelters. It is possible to click on each of the marked shelters and get details on the number of displaced persons currently being sheltered.



The Rolling Blackouts Map shows areas that are affected by power outages. It is possible to search the map for planned power outage information by address or post code.



This map from Kuippa (not from Google) shows the areas affected by the current problems at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. The map shows the different exclusion zones imposed around the plant.



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