Map of Iwakuni, Japan

I've been working on this map of Iwakuni for quite some time now -- and I'm happy to announce that it is finally completed!  The maze-like network of roads and the ring of hills surrounding the city made for a very intricate map of the charming town we currently call home.

The map would make a wonderful keepsake for anyone who has spent time in Iwakuni, past or present.  The map is available in two sizes (11x14" and 16x20") in the Shop and on my Etsy store.

The urban designer in me can't resist a little comparison of road networks in Japan versus America.  The organic network of maze-like roads found in Japan stands in stark contrast to the organized grid structure we're so used to in the USA.  The patterns here are heavily influenced by the mountainous terrain found throughout Japan.  These maps don't give a representation of the density, but Japan is, as one would imagine, incredibly dense.  It still surprises me how consistently dense the residential building patterns are throughout Japanese cities.

Iwakuni, Japan

Denver, Colorado, USA

Iwakuni, Japan