Heibonsha Releases Japan Atlas with Furigana for All Place Names
Key facts
- Heibonsha Releases Japan Atlas with Furigana for All Place Names
- On May 20, 2026, Heibonsha will release 'Easy Reading for Difficult Place Names! Furigana Japan Atlas,' the first general-purpose atlas in Japan to provide phonetic furigana for every listed place name.
- Source: PR Times
- Date: May 20, 2026
Direct answer
On May 20, 2026, Heibonsha will release 'Easy Reading for Difficult Place Names! Furigana Japan Atlas,' the first general-purpose atlas in Japan to provide phonetic furigana for every listed place name.
- Citation
- Heibonsha Releases Japan Atlas with Furigana for All Place Names (May 20, 2026), PR Times
- Source
- PR Times
- Date
- May 20, 2026
On May 20, 2026, Heibonsha will release 'Easy Reading for Difficult Place Names! Furigana Japan Atlas,' the first general-purpose atlas in Japan to provide phonetic furigana for every listed place name.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 20, 2026 at 17:00
- 🔍 Collected: May 20, 2026 at 08:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 20, 2026 at 08:32 (0 min after Collected)
On May 20, 2026, Heibonsha will launch 'Easy Reading for Difficult Place Names! Furigana Japan Atlas.' This publication marks the first instance of a full-scale, general-purpose Japanese atlas that includes furigana (phonetic readings) for every single place name listed. While educational maps have occasionally provided total furigana, no professional-grade general atlas has previously achieved such thorough coverage.
Features of the Atlas:
- The first general-purpose Japanese atlas to provide furigana for every listed place name.
- Offers new discoveries for place names you thought you could already read.
- Preface and columns supervised by Keisuke Imao, a leading authority on place-name studies.
- A new type of atlas designed to let readers experience the joy of 'reading' maps.
We often assume we know how to read place names, but much of it may be based on guesswork. For example, the name 'Shinden' is commonly read as such, but in some regions, it is read as 'Niida,' 'Nitta,' or even 'Nyuta' in Miyazaki. The same applies to the suffix 'machi/cho' (town). On Tokyo's Toei Shinjuku Line, Jimbocho is followed by Ogawamachi and then Iwamotocho—each using the same character but with different readings. Japanese place names are often impossible to read correctly based on the kanji characters alone.
In publishing, reading kanji based on assumptions without verifying the correct pronunciation is called 'katteyomi' (guessing the reading). It is possible that we all engage in this 'guessing' daily. Traditional atlases usually only provide furigana for notoriously difficult place names. However, this book provides furigana for every name, regardless of difficulty. As you flip through the pages, you will experience realizations like, 'I’ve been mispronouncing this for years!' or 'I had no idea it was read like that.'
Additionally, the book features columns supervised by authority Keisuke Imao, covering the origins of place names, local history, disappeared place names, the secrets of tidal currents, and even trivia related to James Bond (007). We invite you to lose yourself in the 'map swamp'—a state of deep immersion—with this new Furigana Japan Atlas.
Book Details:
'Easy Reading for Difficult Place Names! Furigana Japan Atlas'
Preface and Column Supervision: Keisuke Imao
A4 size / Paperback / 128 pages (All color)
ISBN: 978-4-582-41822-4
Price: 2,500 yen + tax
Publisher: Heibonsha
Features of the Atlas:
- The first general-purpose Japanese atlas to provide furigana for every listed place name.
- Offers new discoveries for place names you thought you could already read.
- Preface and columns supervised by Keisuke Imao, a leading authority on place-name studies.
- A new type of atlas designed to let readers experience the joy of 'reading' maps.
We often assume we know how to read place names, but much of it may be based on guesswork. For example, the name 'Shinden' is commonly read as such, but in some regions, it is read as 'Niida,' 'Nitta,' or even 'Nyuta' in Miyazaki. The same applies to the suffix 'machi/cho' (town). On Tokyo's Toei Shinjuku Line, Jimbocho is followed by Ogawamachi and then Iwamotocho—each using the same character but with different readings. Japanese place names are often impossible to read correctly based on the kanji characters alone.
In publishing, reading kanji based on assumptions without verifying the correct pronunciation is called 'katteyomi' (guessing the reading). It is possible that we all engage in this 'guessing' daily. Traditional atlases usually only provide furigana for notoriously difficult place names. However, this book provides furigana for every name, regardless of difficulty. As you flip through the pages, you will experience realizations like, 'I’ve been mispronouncing this for years!' or 'I had no idea it was read like that.'
Additionally, the book features columns supervised by authority Keisuke Imao, covering the origins of place names, local history, disappeared place names, the secrets of tidal currents, and even trivia related to James Bond (007). We invite you to lose yourself in the 'map swamp'—a state of deep immersion—with this new Furigana Japan Atlas.
Book Details:
'Easy Reading for Difficult Place Names! Furigana Japan Atlas'
Preface and Column Supervision: Keisuke Imao
A4 size / Paperback / 128 pages (All color)
ISBN: 978-4-582-41822-4
Price: 2,500 yen + tax
Publisher: Heibonsha
FAQ
Why were furigana added to all place names?
Because place names are often misread by assumptions, and providing the correct reading offers new insights and a deeper enjoyment of reading maps.
What topics are covered in the columns?
They cover a wide range of topics including place-name origins, local history, vanished place names, ocean currents, and even stories related to 007.
Who is the target audience?
General readers and place-name enthusiasts who enjoy not just searching maps, but 'reading' them.