For my final project in Advanced Digital Cartography, I plan to map my

vacation/graduation present to Japan. This seemed like an interesting project

because, not only will it be intellectually stimulating, but I will have a map to show
my family and friends. I figured that this map will show people some regional
geography of Japan AND get a glimpse of where and what I will be doing while I am
in Japan.

The audience for this map will be everyone in my Digital Cartography class and
anyone else who wonders where I am from May 17 – 31st. So basically, this map is
for anyone who is curious about traveling to Japan. My map will give insight to
important places of interest while vacationing in Japan.

I would like to animate my map by using shape tweens, roll-overs, and a

splash screen. For instance, I would like to have a moving arrow that shows my
movement from day to day. I plan to include roll-over pictures of each site I visit
and to provide background information for that site. I will also provide a two week
timeline that starts the day I arrive in Japan and stops the day I depart. I will refer
to Lab 6 for shape tweens and Lab 8 for rollovers and splash screens.

My data source will be mostly based off of my itinerary:

1 IAD ATL
17May
09:50AM
17May
11:45AM
ATL NRT
17May
01:55PM
18May Leave
1 5/17/201004:55PM US さよならアメリカ
2

3 Arrive Sumisho
2 5/18/2010 Japan Relax, time permitting explore Tokyo. Hotel
4

5 Asakusa - Asakusa (浅草) is a part of Tokyo's downtown Taito district best known for its Sumisho
3 5/19/2010 Tokyo many temples, particularly Sensōji Hotel
6 Odaiba - Odaiba (お台場) is a large artificial island in Tokyo, Japan, featuring many
hypermodern and just plain strange buildings memorably described as the result of an
acid-soaked pre-schooler's architecture class. Administratively a part of the Minato, Koto
and Shinagawa districts, the area is now a very popular shopping and entertainment
destination.
7 Tsukiji - Tsukiji Fish Market (築地市場 Tsukiji-shijō), 5-2-1 Tsukiji (Tsukijishijo
Station, Toei Oedo Subway), ☎ +81 03-3542-1111, [2]. 5AM-1PM, closed Sundays and
the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month. More properly the Tokyo
Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market, the famous market is worth a visit for 1600
stalls of bizarre sea creatures, including large blue fin tuna, live shell fish, deep sea crabs,
eels and salmon.
8

9 4 5/20/2010 Tokyo Tokyo Tower - Tokyo Tower (東京タワー Tōkyō Tawā), (the nearest station is Sumisho
Akabanebashi (5 min walk) although Hamamatsucho and Daimon are accessible through Hotel
several lines and only slightly farther away), [2]. 9AM-10PM daily. Tokyo's largest
tourist trap, this was a newly re-industrialized Japan's 1958 answer to Paris's Eiffel
Tower — a bit more modern-looking and 9 meters taller. Entry to the Main Observatory
 (150m) is ¥820, while ascending to the Special Observatory (250m) is an extra ¥600. If
you've still got money in your pockets, you can burn it by visiting the Wax Museum
(¥870), the Mysterious Walking Zone (¥410) or the Trick Art Gallery (¥400). Tip: you'll
get better views from higher up for free if you visit Shinjuku's Metropolitan Government
Building observatory instead. Another tip: To get a good view of, and picture with, the
tower, try the courtyard in front of Zojoji (nearby), or the second-floor deck outside the
Mori Tower at Roppongi Hills (farther away but more panoramic)
10 Akihabara - Akihabara (秋葉原) [1] is Tokyo's "Electric Town", located on the eastern
side of the central Chiyoda ward. The area houses thousands of shops selling every
technological gadget you can imagine, from computers to gaming consoles and vacuums
to DVDs, at reasonable prices. This area is also known as the "Gamer's Mecca" and has
in recent times become strongly identified with anime/manga (cartoon) subculture, with
the legions of otaku geeks traipsing down on weekends known as Akiba-kei.
11

12 Himeji Castle - Himeji (姫路; [1]) is a small city at the western edge of the Kansai region
of Japan with Japan's finest castle. At one point in the late 1500's, it was the biggest
5 5/21/2010 Himeji castle in all of Asia.
13

14 Kaiyukan (Osakako, Chuo Line) [29] is one of the world's largest aquariums, with 11,000
tons of water and plenty of sharks (including a whale shark), dolphins, otters, seals, and
other creatures of the sea. The largest tank, representing the Pacific Ocean with 5,400
tons is nothing but overwhelming. On the weekend, musicians and street performers offer
6 5/22/2010 Osaka additional entertainment to people outside the aquarium. ¥2000 (¥900 children).
15 Osaka Castle (大阪城 Osaka-jō) [21]. Osaka's best known sight, although it's a concrete
reconstruction that pales in comparison with, say, Himeji. Think of it as a museum built
in the shape of a castle, rather than as an actual historical castle. Still, it's pretty enough
from the outside, especially in the cherry blossom season when Osakans flock to the
castle park to picnic and make merry. 9AM-5PM daily, adult admission ¥600 (Children
up to middle school free). Closed at the end and beginning of the year. The park can be
accessed on a number of lines, but the castle is closest to Osaka-jō Koen station on the JR
Osaka Loop Line. Naniwa Palace Site Park or Naniwanomiya can also be found south to
Osaka Castle Park (although it's one of Japan's oldest habitats and palace sites, today it's
little more than an empty grass field where the outlines of Naniwa's palace foundations
from around 643 AD have been partly recreated in concrete). Admission fee is only
required to enter the actual castle, and entry to the castle park and surrounds is free.
16 Umeda Sky Building (梅田スカイビル)[24]. 1-1-20 Oyodonaka, Kita-ku (10 min on
foot from JR Osaka or Hankyu Umeda), Built in an attempt to upgrade Osaka's somewhat
downbeat Kita district, the project wasn't quite the hoped-for commercial success but this
bizarrely shaped 40-story, 173-meter building is still a city landmark. Take the escalator
through midair to the rooftop observatory for an open-air view of Osaka, which is
particularly impressive on a clear night. Observatory admission ¥700, 10AM-10:30PM
daily (entry until 10PM, varies by season). The basement features a recreation of a Meiji-
era street, with a few small restaurants and bars in appropriate style.
17 Peace Osaka, A museum dedicated to the promotion of peace through displays of war.
Because it is an Osaka museum, it features the affects of the bombings on Osaka in
WWII. While this is of some interest, the exhibitions depicting the atrocities committed
by Japan against China, Korea, and Southeast Asia are what make this museum truly
worthwhile. There is also an exhibit with displays relating to the atomic bombings of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Exhibits have English explanations.
18

19 7 5/23/2010 Osaka
20

21 8 5/24/2010 Koyosan
22

23 Nara Castle - Nara (奈良) [1] is an ancient capital city in Nara Prefecture,
Kansai region of Japan.
Overshadowed by its more famous neighbor Kyoto, Nara is omitted from
many a time-pressed tourist's itinerary. However, Nara is home to many
important scenic and historical sites, and today preserves its main sights
much more attractively than Kyoto within Nara Park and neighborhoods
like Naramachi.

9 5/25/2010 Nara Todaiji

 24

25 Walk from kyoto station to sanjusangendo and see the museum, continue
to Kiyomizu temple and then over to Kannon Ryozen Temple and Kodaiji
10 5/26/2010 Kyoto then walk over to Maruyama Park. Dinner in Downtown Kyoto.
26

27 11 5/27/2010 Kyoto Ryoanji Temple and Kinkakuji then down to Nijo Castle.
28

29 Ginkakuji and the philosopher's walk, Heian Shrine and then train to
12 5/28/2010 Kyoto Fushimi Inari.
30

31 13 5/29/2010 Tokyo
32

33 14 5/30/2010 Tokyo
34

35 NRT ATL 30May

03:10PM 30May
02:30PM
ATL IAD 30May
04:05PM 30May Leave Japan /
15 5/31/201005:51PM Arrive US さよなら日本
36

I will use my itinerary to create a timeline and to provide the background

information of the places I visit. I collected the background information from
Wikitravel.org which is a site that helps people create travel itineraries. I posted my
itinerary because I still have days that are blank. It is still in work so if you have
ever traveled to Japan or know of any neat places to go see, let me know! I would
love more insight.

My main goal for producing this map is to STAY ORGANIZED! I’m not only
making a map, I’m planning a vacation at the same time! The map should not take
longer than two weeks to create. I have my itinerary mostly finished and my ideas
all sorted out. I do need help with finding a basemap of Japan, preferably one that
shows the geographic features of Japan. Kaloyan, I’m looking at you.

Here are two maps that will help produce my vacation map:

http://www.globusjourneys.com/Maps/2009/ZI.jpg

http://danherron.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/vacation-map3.jpg

These are not animated but you get the idea.