【ZENRIN】 Not only developing navigation games themselves but also providing accurate map information to other works! What kind of company is ZENRIN, the ultra-famous map business operator in Japan?

Some might think, “Isn't this a story about a game company?” However, ZENRIN Co., Ltd., introduced here, is not just a simple map company. Headquartered in Tobata-ku, Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture, it is known as Japan's largest map information company. It is one of only four digital map preparation companies in Japan, conducting thorough in-house field surveys and producing/selling residential maps and GIS based on that information. Furthermore, by supplying digital maps and car navigation data to other companies, it serves as a pillar supporting Japan's location information infrastructure. Their strength lies in their commitment to accumulating “accurate reality” rather than just drawing maps.

“You use smartphone maps as a matter of course, don't you?”

Behind that “taken-for-granted” convenience lies ZENRIN's technology.

In the 2000s, mobile phones, laptops, portable game consoles, and smartphones spread rapidly. Adapting to these waves of change, ZENRIN provided map services for various devices, flexibly responding to the trends of the times. The ingenuity and technical skill required to realize map information that is easy to see and operate even on small-screen terminals belong to a completely different realm from simple paper map production. Changing the delivery method as the environment changes—this adaptability is one of the reasons the company continues to stay at the forefront of the industry.

“What if real cities were put directly into games?”

ZENRIN's 3D map data answered that question. They converted 3D data for car navigation—which reproduces the streets of major Japanese cities—into the highly versatile FBX format and released parts of it on the Unity Asset Store starting in September 2014. This made the data usable in game and CG production, bringing reality-based urban expression much closer to creators. In July 2018, it was announced that the data would be adopted for the in-game city graphics of the PlayStation 4 software “Disaster Report 4 Plus: Summer Memories.” It was a moment where the persuasive spatial presentation, achievable only by a company that knows real streets inside and out, was highly acclaimed.

“Have you ever thought a city in a game felt strangely real?”

ZENRIN is in charge of map production for Kamurocho, Isezaki Ijincho, and Honolulu City in SEGA's popular title “Ryu Ga Gotoku: Infinite Wealth.” The reality of the streets players freely roam cannot be achieved through imagination alone. Because they possess knowledge of actual urban structures and building placements, a world without inconsistencies is constructed. ZENRIN's map-making technology plays an active role as the “invisible foundation” supporting game immersion. A presence that quietly supports the worldview behind flashy characters and stories—that is another face of the company.

“Are maps just simple guidebooks?”

No, looking at ZENRIN's efforts, we see that maps are infrastructure connecting reality and the virtual. From residential maps to car navigation, mobile terminals, and into game spaces. Even as the usage changes, the foundation remains accurate surveys and trust in data. The attitude of meticulously capturing the real world is bringing new value to the entertainment field as well.

You might not usually be conscious of it, but the streets we walk and the cities we race through in games might be connected to ZENRIN's technology somewhere. When you realize the fact that maps—a quiet presence—support such a diverse world, the way you look at the city will surely change a little.