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 Forestry service 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+263C White sun with rays
Elementary or junior high school U+6587 Kanji bun
High school 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+2297 Diagonal cross (saltire) in circle
× Koban (police box) U+00D7 Diagonal cross (saltire)
Public health centre U+2295 Greek cross in circle
Hospital Greek cross in shield
Prefectural Office Oval bullseye
City hall U+25CE Bullseye
Ward office U+25C9 Fisheye
Town hall U+25CB Circle
Buddhist temple U+534D Manji (Sauwastika)
Cemetery U+22A5 Up tack (inverted T-shape)
Onsen (hot springs) U+2668 Oval with three vertical wavy lines
Historical landmark U+2234 Therefore symbol
Summit U+25B4 Small black upward-pointing triangle
ж Forestry station U+0436 Seal script kanji for tree

See also

External links