History of GIS in Japan
In Japan, maintenance of digital maps started in 1974, but systematic maintenance of digital maps started in
1995. Based on the lessons from the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake of January 1995, GIS Association
proposed the government to establish NSDI. Therefore, the national government established the GIS Liaison
Committee of Ministries and Agencies in September 1995, and the strong activities for GIS development
started systematically in Japan. Geographical Survey Institute (GSI) is the secretariat of the Liaison Committee
with the National and Regional Planning Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT).
At first, "the Long-term Plan for Building a National Geospatial Data Framework and Promoting the Use
of GIS" was formulated by the GIS Liaison Committee. This Long-term plan has 2 phases, such as
Infrastructure formation period and Spread period. After that, "the e-Japan Priority Policy Program" was
formulated by the IT Strategy Headquarter in March 2001, and "GIS Action Program 2002-2005 (GIS-AP)"
was developed by the GIS Liaison Committee in February 2002, to harmonize "the e-Japan Priority Policy
Program.