From Data to Digital Twins: Japan’s PLATEAU Project Offers Open-Access Models of More Than 250 Cities | ArchDaily

Save this picture!Tokyo, Japan. Image © ESB Professional/ ShutterstockWritten by Antonia PiñeiroPublished on April 08, 2026 Share ShareFacebookTwitterMailPinterestWhatsappOrhttps://www.archdaily.com/1040412/from-data-to-digital-twins-japans-plateau-project-offers-open-access-models-of-more-than-250-cities Clipboard "COPY" Copy"Map the New World" is the motto of Project PLATEAU, led by Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), to develop and expand access to 3D models representing the diversity of cities across the country. Japan comprises a total of 744 cities, including 14 with populations exceeding one million, 190 with between 100,000 and one million inhabitants, and 540 with populations between 10,000 and 100,000. To date, 3D models of more than 250 cities have been made available as open data through the country's public G-Spatial Information Center, and can also be accessed via an online browser viewer. According to public authorities, the project aims to strengthen urban resilience by providing society with new tools to address local challenges. This involves not only urban space modeling but also collaboration with local governments, private companies, and technology communities. The project also includes a digital reconstruction of the recently closed Osaka World Expo site.+ 1 Save this picture!Nagoya from Midland Square Building. Image © Steve Boland via Flickr, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0Initiated within the framework of "Digital...