In a computer screen image taken from the Google Earth software, a feudal map of a village in central Japan from hundreds of years ago is superimposed on a modern street map. The village is labeled “eta,” an old word for what at the time was Japan’s ...

While Asian and Western cartographies are often considered separate traditions, maps of Japan kept in Leiden University Libraries often show a commonality of method and purpose. Despite the expulsion of Phillip Franz von Siebold from Japan in 1829, the ...

TOKYOTOKYO — When Google Earth added historical maps of Japan to its online collection last year, the search giant didn’t expect a backlash. The finely detailed woodblock prints have been around for centuries, they were already posted on another Web ...

Maps feel simple at first glance, but every now and then one forces you to pause and look again. The maps in this list play with scale, shift vantage points, or pull certain details forward so the familiar suddenly looks different.

The "manji" symbol adorns a Buddhist temple in Tokyo. AP TOKYO — As Japan gears up to host the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and caters to a surging influx of foreign visitors, the country faces a cultural dilemma: Should it stop identifying Buddhist temples on ...

Japan is on high alert as officials warn of a potential megaquake and tsunami threat. Urgent evacuation preparations are underway as the country braces for a possible catastrophe.