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Remote Sensing Technology Center (RESTEC) 
is a foundation authorized by STA. Main 
activities of RESTEC are data service, research, 
and coordination of committees and training 
courses. Most satellite data can be purchased 
through RESTEC. 
Earth Remote Sensing Data Analysis Center 
(ERSDAC) is a foundation authorized by MITI. 
The objective of ERSDAC is to promote remote 
sensing for resources, energy, and environment: 
The concrete activities of ERSDAC focus on 
JERS-1 and ASTER which is a sensor launched 
by EOS-AMI, USA in 1998 and is funded by 
MITI. 
4.5 Research groups 
The Japan Association on Remote Sensing 
(JARS) is a non-profit research group consisting 
of about ten professors/scientists and about 
twenty people from private firms. JARS was 
founded in 1974, and it is one of the most active 
research group in remote sensing because JARS 
has published six books on remote sensing 
including "REMOTE SENSING NOTE" 
(1993). | 
The Association for Real-time Imaging and 
Dynamic Analysis (ARIDA), which is described 
in the the first chapter, is also the same type 
organization in the field of photogrammetry. 
5. ACTIVITIES IN THE 
GEOGRAPHICAL SURVEY 
INSTITUTE 
The Geographical Survey Institute (GSI) is a 
major surveying and mapping agency in Japan. 
It carries out geodetic survey and cartographic 
work including publication of topographic and 
thematic maps. Major new activities in the GSI 
during the period of 1992-1996 are summarized 
as follows. 
5.1 GRAPES 
More than 600 (610 as of March 1996) fixed 
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GPS observation stations have been set up in 
Japanese islands with about 30 km interval. The 
system is nicknamed GRAPES which stands for 
"GPS Regional Array for PrEcise Surveying". 
Crustal movement can be continuously 
monitored by this system. The GPS data can 
also be used as reference point for GPS 
positional survey. Provision of the data for this 
purpose is under consideration. 
S.2 Preparation of Digital Cartographic 
Data 
5.2.1 Publication of "Numerical Map" 
in Floppy Disks 
Several kinds of digital cartographic data 
produced by the GSI have been published in 
FD's since 1993. The following data are now 
availableto general public. 
- Digital elevation data in about 50 m grid 
interval (covers more than 1/2 of Japan) 
- Digital elevation data in about 250 m grid 
interval (covers all Japan) 
- Digital elevation data in about 1 km grid 
interval (covers all Japan) 
- 1:10,000 Topographic map data 
- Sea coastline and administrative boundaries 
from 1:25,000 topographic map 
5.2.2 Spatial Framework Data 
Preparation of "Spatial Framework Data" began 
in 1995. This is a project to produce structured 
digital cartographic data of major map contents 
such as administrative boundaries up to the 
smallest unit, road networks, rivers and so on 
corresponding to map scale of 1:2,500 - 
1:10,000. The data are made through digitization 
of hard copy map. 
5.2.3 Raster image data of topographic 
maps 
Raster image data of 1:25,000 and 1:50,000 
topographic maps are made by scanning original 
films of maps in a resolution of 25 44 m. These 
data are used for map revision with the Raster 
map revision system described later. Publication 
of these map data with reduced resolution in CD- 
ROM's is now under consideration.