Smartphones have been becoming increasingly popular since iPhone launched in 2007. In Japan, base map data and disaster prevention related data became available for everyone, because of promotion of open data by the government. Consequently, it becomes possible that everyone makes a GIS application and a disaster prevention application. Therefore, this study tried to develop a disaster prevention application to use open data and a smartphone (iPhone). The used data are free geospatial data which are shelters data and floods areas data in the national land numerical information (NLNI). The developed application can display a flood level, floods areas (hazard map) and flood river information, and search suitable shelters for evacuation and evacuation routes to the shelters.

In the mid-18th century, the eighth shogun of Tokugawa Shogunate Tokugawa Yoshimune restored 6 falconry fields named “Okobushiba” in the rural periphery around the city of Edo. The villages of the falconry fields, were designated as bird sanctuaries and villagers were tasked various labor services to support the sanctuary. This study aims to reconstruct the boundaries of these 6 falconry fields by applying present census boundary data sets. The methodology has two advantages over tracing old paper based maps. Firstly, the present census boundaries inherit the old boundaries of the villages during the Tokugawa Shogunate Era. Secondly, the data sets are organized and made easily accessible for use as a framework for various areas of study. This paper will introduce the methodology and processes utilized in the building of the 6 falconry fields.

The most densely populated area in the twenty-three wards of Tokyo is identified as a zone of five to ten kilometers which is centered at Shimbashi station by using Small Area Statistics of 2010 Population Census of Japan. This paper analyses the characteristics of population, households, and dwelling houses in 5 to 10 kilometer zone, comparing with inner and outer zones. It becomes clear that the high densely populated circular area of 5 to 10 kilometer zone is formed by one-person households of 20 age and 30 age groups residing in small apartments of floor space less than 49 square meters and the medium- and high-levels layer.

This study reviews to promote participatory workshops with a data set that has been offered free of charge or with open data from local governments in case of “Urban Data Challenge Tokyo 2013 (UDCT2013). We developed a platform that can be viewed on more than the web sites of local government when seeking solutions to regional problems and that takes advantage of geospatial information. It is easy to find and to download, but the application of these data to regional problems is limited. Therefore, an increase in programs that combine enhancements and platforms that easy access and use to more variety of open geospatial data is necessary.