Notes about the Maps

I have made these maps at different times, with various goals in mind. As a result, the maps do vary.

When making the first maps, the ones for Tokyo, my primary concerns were maximum information and legibility for minimum memory. Though they may look to be a decent size on the computer, because they are between 150 and 200 dpi, many of them are on the small size when printed. Someday, I plan to remake those maps.

When I started work on the Kyoto maps, I had received some feedback on the Tokyo ones. This time I put numbers on the map to correspond with the shops. I also made the maps as large as I could while still being able to print them on one page each. As a result, some of them have been turned on their sides and/or divided into multiple maps. I have yet to receive any feedback on these, so I don't know if they are an improvement over the first ones. The main Kyoto maps are at 100 dpi with unmarked 300 dpi maps available for many of them. I've printed out both from the net, and I don't really see much difference between the two. In theory, there should be a visible difference; perhaps it's just my printer.

My most recent experiment is to make central maps to which all the individual maps are connected. I hope these will provide further aid for those planning a trip to anime shopping heaven. Of course, if you have any comments, suggestions, additions or questions, please contact me.

Most of my maps are based on the Bilingual Atlas series published by Kodansha. The reason I chose to use these, besides the obvious reason that I own them, is because these maps are superior to all other maps I have used. They have both the Japanese and romanized versions of place names, which is an oddly rare trait. They also have the best details and are made like American maps, with north and legends clearly labeled and a realistic, literal layout. If a trainline or road has a bend in it, this map shows it. As anyone who's traveled in Japan can likely tell you, these qualities are rare in Japanese maps. A few of the maps came from the '97-'98 Manga Map and the Newtype Tokyo Cult Map '94. For a detailed bibliography of these resources, please click here.