Japan: A Bilingual Atlas (A Kodansha Guide) (Paperback)

~ Kodansha International (Author), (Author)
Key Phrases: Ward Office, City Office

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This atlas covers all of Japan, with place names in both Japanese and English for the greatest convenience in locating where one wishes to go. The atlas is divided into five parts--area maps, city maps, sight-seeing maps, transportation maps, and thematic maps. A helpful guide to all travelers.

FEATURES

*21 large-scale maps of the regions of Japan, featuring Greater Tokyo and the Kanto area and the Greater Osaka Area, with the locations of almost all of the 3,000 officially registered Japanese cities, towns, and villages.

*19 maps of major metropolitan areas, from Naha in Okinawa to Hiroshima, Kyoto, Nagoya, Tsukuba, and Sapporo.

*7 maps featuring notable tourist and resort areas, including Fuji-Hakone-Izu, Nara, Kamakura, and Nikko.

*9 transportation maps, including road and intercity railway maps, Tokyo and Osaka subway and rail maps, and even major domestic airline routes.

*19 thematic maps, indicating national parks, historic spots, national monuments, hot springs, birdwatching areas, and locations of traditional arts and crafts, such as pottery and lacquerware.

Language Notes

Text: English, Japanese

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Kodansha International (JPN); 1st edition (April 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 4770015364
• ISBN-13: 978-4770015365
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #990,726 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Indispensable Atlas for a Traveler in Japan, March 27, 2000

By	TLK (Commonwealth Of Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

I travel to Japan every 5th week or so to sell my company's semiconductors to various manufacturers spread out all over Japan. This Atlas is terrific for English-only speakers like me, as it has all the Japanese characters next to the English names, which is essential when navigating the train stations off the main lines. This Atlas has good city maps for all the major destinations and the touristy sites are also well located. A nice feature is the very good transportation maps in the back showing the courses of all the major train lines. The dimensions (0.54 x 8.57 x 6.21") make it easy to carry at all times in my computer bag too. Finally, even though it is a paperback, the binding is robust, so this book has stood up to all the abuse I've given it.

I bought this book in a rush while preparing for a trip, figuring I'd replace it once in country. I didn't bother as this Atlas has had everything I needed and more.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Dated and poorly printed, July 29, 2003

By A Customer

While getting ready for a two-month stint in Japan, I found an entry for this book and it looked helpful. When I received it, I was disappointed in the quality of the printing. Not only does it look cheap, but it is also difficult to read.

When I got to Japan, I also realized that it is more than a bit dated. I have been traveling for more than a month now and have stopped using it. Granted, the cities are still in the same place on the maps, but the city maps need to be updated and corrected. This book was put together in 1991. My bad choice here. In the States, I would never depend on maps over 12 years old.

This is just my experience. Take it for what it's worth.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended., November 18, 1997

By A Customer

I lived in Japan for a year and found the bilingual atlas to be invaluable, especially for traveling in less touristy areas where the signs are not transliterated in romaji (roman script.) I highly recommend this book for anyone who is going to spend any time traveling around Japan.