Case study · Japan
Japanwilds: designing a discovery system for a hiking network in Japan
- 100+hiking maps unified
- 1searchable map of Japan
- Naganoprefecture work that followed
Japanwilds is a hiking platform dedicated to helping visitors explore Japan’s outdoor regions through detailed digital maps and route guides.
When the project began, the platform contained over 100 hiking maps created by the founder, a professional cartographer. The challenge was making this growing collection of maps easy for visitors to explore.
The goal was to create a discovery system that unified these maps into a single searchable platform.
The challenge
The Japanwilds project had three major challenges.
- Over 100 hiking maps needed to be organized into a clear structure
- Visitors needed an intuitive way to explore hiking locations across Japan
- Partner content such as blogs and videos needed to connect to each location
Without a structured discovery system, visitors would struggle to navigate such a large collection of routes and regions.
The result
The final platform unified more than 100 hiking maps into a single structured discovery experience. Visitors can now
- explore hiking locations through an interactive map
- access partner articles and videos connected to each route
- easily navigate across regions of Japan
The system also created a scalable foundation for expanding tourism content in the future.
This work later led to collaboration with the Nagano Prefecture tourism initiative.
“We strongly felt the need to have all our maps easily accessible on one website, searchable through an interactive map of Japan.”
Japanwilds
