is a Japanese

map A map is a symbolic depiction emphasizing relationships between elements of some space, such as objects, regions, or themes. Many maps are static, fixed to paper or some other durable medium, while others are dynamic or interactive. Although ...

publisher Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...

. Founded in 1948, the company is known as a maker of residential maps and software used in personal computers and

Automotive navigation system An automotive navigation system is part of the automobile controls or a third party add-on used to find direction in an automobile. It typically uses a satellite navigation device to get its position data which is then correlated to a position on ...

s. It is a leading Japanese company in the production of mapping software.

Head office

Zenrin's head office is in the Zenrin-Asahi Building at 1-1-1, Muromachi, Kokura-Kita Ward, Kitakyūshū. The building stands on the spot where noted

Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...

mapmaker

Inō Tadataka was a Japanese people, Japanese surveying, surveyor and cartographer. He is known for completing the first map of Japan using modern surveying techniques. Early life Inō was born in the small village of Ozeki in the middle of Kujūkuri beach, ...

began his mapping of

Kyūshū is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surround ...

, in the midst of a modern shopping and cultural center called

Riverwalk Kitakyushu Riverwalk may refer to: Paths and trails Australia * Brisbane Riverwalk * Surfers Riverwalk, Gold Coast Canada * Jack and Jean Leslie RiverWalk, in Downtown Calgary, Alberta Mexico * Santa Lucía riverwalk in Monterrey, Nuevo León Un ...

. The company also has a development center (Techno Center) at Nakabaru Shinmachi 3-1, Tobata Ward, Kitakyushu. In the U.S., Zenrin provides navigation software and expertise to

Nissan , trade name, trading as Nissan Motor Corporation and often shortened to Nissan, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer headquartered in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Japan. The company sells ...

North America,

Honda is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a product ...

Internavi Internavi is a vehicle telematics service offered by the Honda Motor Company to drivers in Japan. In the United States, the service is known as HondaLink, or sometimes MyLink. It provides mobile connectivity for on-demand traffic information servi ...

in car telematics service in Japan, and other automobile and navigation systems hardware manufacturers. Zenrin is also continuing to explore collaborative efforts with other electronic and auto manufacturers. Field research crews collect data throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and survey businesses along America's Interstate's to integrate into their navigation software and databases. Businesses, organizations, and travelers nationwide utilize this data in a variety of applications and settings.

International offices

Zenrin USA, Inc., located between San Francisco and Silicon Valley at 1350 Bayshore Hwy, Suite 580, Burlingame, CA 94010 USA (650-615-4200). Zenrin Europe GmbH, located in Münsterstr. 306, 40470 Düsseldorf, Germany (+49-211-369-780).

President

has been the President and CEO of Zenrin Co. Ltd., since April 1, 2008. Mr. Takayama joined Zenrin Co. Ltd. in 1986 and has been its Director since 2006. He graduated from the Seinan Gakuen University. was president from 1980 until his retirement in 2001. Inheriting the company from his father, he built it into a major company in mapping and vehicle-mounted navigation software. He was also the first president of the StarFlyer airline.

Map museum

A map museum is located on the on 14th floor of the company's home office building. It is open 10:00-17:00 weekdays, closed weekends and Japanese national holidays. Admission is ¥100.

References

External links

Zenrin Japan website

Zenrin Europe websiteZenrin USA website
Map companies of Japan Book publishing companies of Japan Companies based in Fukuoka Prefecture Publishing companies established in 1948 Japanese brands Mass media in Kitakyushu GIS companies Japanese companies established in 1948 Companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Companies listed on the Fukuoka Stock Exchange {{tech-company-stub