Major Japanese Map Firm Zenrin Creates Remote Island Trading Cards

By Isamu Hamamura / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

11:00 JST, December 26, 2025

FUKUOKA — Zenrin Co., a leading map company headquartered in Kitakyushu, has been selling trading cards featuring inhabited remote islands in Japan to try and convey their charm.

Zenrin produces and sells stationery and miscellaneous goods featuring map designs under its brand. However, the company sometimes must exclude remote islands during the design stage due to the islands’ distance from the mainland and taking the whole balance into consideration. This led to the idea of creating trading cards specifically focused on inhabited remote islands.

Zenrin picked 70 of the nation’s 304 inhabited islands to produce trading cards of, which hit shelves in July. They are collectible cards that are not for battling, similar to collectibles such as manhole cover cards or dam cards, designed to encourage tourism in a certain region. The company started selling cards of another 80 islands this month.

The card’s target audience is map enthusiasts. While primarily aimed at men over the age of 40, younger generations and those who simply found them interesting have also purchased the cards. Reactions, especially on social media, have been very positive. “We created the cards in the hope of sparking interest in remote islands,” said Keisuke Takahashi, the project planner. “We’d be delighted if the trading cards encourage people to learn about these islands or even visit them.”

Using firm’s map data

The front of each card features a map of the island along with its data including its name and population. Using Zenrin’s map data, the map includes roads and contour lines showing the island’s topography. The map also features the island’s latitude and longitude, making its location within the entire Japanese archipelago easily understandable.

The back of each card features the island’s silhouette, designed with the idea that “a little game element would be fun.” The company recommends using the feature to create a quiz game in which players guess the island based on the silhouette.

Rarity based on population

Another feature of the cards is the three-tier rarity system, determined by the island’s population. The categories are: 100 or more residents, 10-99 residents and one to nine residents. Ten islands from the ones released in July, including Nakajima Island in Kamiamakusa, Kumamoto Prefecture, are categorized as rare, which means their cards have a glossy finish on the front.

The cards are sold in packs containing seven cards for ¥550 including tax. They are available in Zenrin’s online store as well as at locations like the map goods store “Map Design Gallery & Lab” in the Tenjin district in Fukuoka City.

Juri Naganawa, who oversees the card designs, said: “We’ve seen posts on social media from people who bought the cards and then visited the islands. We hope these cards will spark conversations among people.”