Japan Confirms Correction of World Map Depicting Disputed Islands as Russian Territory
The Japanese government has announced that a world map, utilizing a United Nations-encouraged projection method, has been 'corrected' following Japan's request to modify its depiction of disputed islands. The map, created by developers of the Equal Earth map projection, initially colored four islands off Hokkaido—known as the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kurils in Russia—the same as nearby Russian land. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara stated that this depiction contradicted the Japanese government's stance and that diplomatic missions abroad had been tasked with requesting a modification from the website operator. The Equal Earth map projection is among the mapping methods the U.N. General Assembly recently voted to encourage globally, aiming to show countries and continents at their true relative sizes, a move supported by Japan as part of an African-led campaign against the 16th-century Mercator projection.
