List of Japanese map symbols
This is a list of symbols appearing on Japanese maps. These symbols are called chizukigou (地図記号) in the Japanese language.
symbol | meaning | illustration | symbol | meaning | illustration |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
Municipal building (city or ward level) | ![]() |
![]() |
Municipal building (town or village level) | ![]() |
![]() |
Court house or building | ![]() |
![]() |
Fire station | |
![]() |
Police station | ![]() |
![]() |
Kōban | ![]() |
![]() |
Public health center | ![]() |
![]() |
Post office | ![]() |
![]() |
Meteorological observatory | ![]() |
![]() |
office | ![]() |
![]() |
Government office building | ![]() |
![]() |
Elementary or junior highschool | ![]() |
![]() |
High school | ![]() |
![]() |
Junior college | ![]() |
![]() |
Technical college | ![]() |
![]() |
College or university | ![]() |
![]() |
Museum | ![]() |
![]() |
Library | |
![]() |
Shinto shrine | ![]() |
![]() |
Temple | |
![]() |
Plant or factory | ![]() |
![]() |
Hospital | ![]() |
![]() |
Military base | ![]() |
![]() |
Oil or gas well | |
![]() |
Power station | ![]() |
Nursing home | ![]() | |
![]() |
Castle | ![]() |
![]() |
Chimney | ![]() |
![]() |
Volcanic crater or Fumarole | ![]() |
![]() |
Radio tower | ![]() |
![]() |
TV tower | ![]() |
![]() |
Place of historic, cultural, or scenic interest | ![]() |
![]() |
Monument | ![]() |
Wind turbine or farm | ![]() | |
![]() |
Lighthouse | ![]() |
Hardwood forest or woods | ![]() | |
![]() |
Coniferous forest or woods | ![]() |
Palm trees | ||
![]() |
Bamboo grove | ![]() |
![]() |
Dwarf pine forest or woods | |
![]() |
Fields | ![]() |
Paddies | ![]() | |
![]() |
Orchard | ![]() |
Tea plantation | ![]() | |
![]() |
Mulberry orchard | ![]() |
![]() |
Other plantation | ![]() |
![]() |
Marsh or Grassland | ![]() |
![]() |
Graveyard or cemetery | ![]() |
![]() |
Mine | ![]() |
![]() |
Pit head | |
![]() |
Quarry | ![]() |
![]() |
Onsen (hot spring) | ![]() |
![]() |
Major port | ![]() |
![]() |
Minor port | ![]() |
![]() |
Fishing port | ![]() |
Ferry (car carrier) | ![]() | |
![]() |
Ferry | ![]() |
![]() |
Benchmark | |
![]() |
Fixed GPS survey point (Electronic triangulation point | ![]() |
![]() |
Triangulation point | ![]() |
Partial list of symbols for the visually impaired[]
Official symbols according to the conventions of the Geographical Survey Institute of Japan appear with a circle below.
Symbol | GSI | Meaning | Unicode | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|
◬ | ○ | Base triangulation surveying point | U+25EC | Dot in upward-pointing triangle |
○ | Electronic triangulation point | Dot in upward-pointing triangle with flag | ||
⊡ | ○ | Benchmark | U+22A1 | Dot in square |
⛭ | ○ | Factory | U+26ED | Gear without hub |
⛯ | ○ | Lighthouse | U+26EF | Map symbol for lighthouse |
⛮ | ○ | Power station | U+26EE | Gear with handles |
文 | ○ | Elementary or junior high school | U+6587 | Kanji bun |
㉆ | ○ | High school | U+3246 | Kanji bun in a circle |
○ | University | Kanji bun with a smaller kanji 大 (for daigaku) in brackets on top | ||
○ | Technical college | Kanji bun with a smaller kanji 専 (for senmon gakkō) in brackets on top | ||
〶 | ○ | Post office | U+3036 | Down tack (T-shape) with overbar in circle |
〒 | × | Sub post office (not distribution centre) | U+3012 | Down tack (T-shape) with overbar |
⭙ | ○ | Police station | U+2B59 | Heavy circled saltire |
☓ | ○ | Koban (police box) | U+2613 | Diagonal cross (saltire) |
⊕ | ○ | Public health centre | U+2295 | Greek cross in circle |
⛨ | ○ | Hospital | Greek cross in shield | |
⭖ | ○ | Prefectural Office | U+26FB | Oval bullseye |
⭗ | ○ | City hall | U+2B57 | Heavy circle with circle inside |
◉ | ○ | Ward office | U+25C9 | Fisheye |
⭘ | ○ | Town hall | U+2B58 | Heavy circle |
⛩ | ○ | Shinto shrine | U+26E9 | Shinto shrine |
卍 | ○ | Buddhist temple | U+534D | Manji (Swastika) |
⛫ | ○ | Castle | U+26EB | Castle |
⛼ | ○ | Cemetery | U+26FC | Headstone graveyard symbol |
♨ | ○ | Onsen (hot springs) | U+2668 | Oval with three vertical wavy lines |
⛬ | ○ | Historical landmark | U+26EC | Historic site |
⛰ | ○ | Summit | U+26F0 | Mountain |
See also[]
- Key (map)
- List of Japanese typographic symbols – Wikipedia list article
- Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI)
External links[]
![]() |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Map symbols of Japan. |
- Japanese map symbols
- List of symbols (in Japanese) (Translate to English: Google, Bing)
- Children's list from the GSI (in Japanese) (Translate to English: Google, Bing) This is a very good reference, it has separate links for each symbol.
- Map Symbols (2002) from the GSI (in Japanese) (Translate to English: Google, Bing)
- Map symbols from the Its-mo online map (in Japanese) (Translate to English: Google, Bing)
Categories:
- Lists of symbols
- Maps of Japan
- Geography of Japan
- Cartography by country