Mapping layers (Nina Wakabayashi, Ashley Qian, Huizi Cao)
Below is an interactive data visualization created for our project, Mapping Layers: Manchuria and Japan in WWII. This visualization features digitized and annotated versions of two historical maps originally produced by Imperial Japan during World War II, now housed in Carleton College’s Special Collections.
Data Overview
We utilized two historically significant maps digitized at high resolution from Carleton College’s Special Collections:
- Map ①: 1:100,000 Scale Map of Manchuria and Siberia – No. 5: Jiamusi & Birobidzhan
- Map ②: 1:100,000 Scale Map of Manchuria and Siberia – No. 23: Jiamusi & Birobidzhan
These maps were originally labeled “Top Military Secret” (軍事極秘) and contain detailed strategic annotations made by the Japanese military. We digitized these maps into IIIF format via Omeka S, enabling seamless integration into annotation and visualization tools. Using the SimpleAnnotationServer (SAS) tool, we carefully annotated and translated the maps into English, capturing historical and geographic context.
Tools & Techniques
- Omeka S & IIIF: High-resolution scans were uploaded into Omeka S to generate stable IIIF links, allowing easy integration into visualization tools.
- SimpleAnnotationServer (SAS): Interactive annotations were made directly onto the maps. This included translating Japanese military annotations into English and contextualizing strategic and geographical details.
- Mirador Viewer: To embed and display the annotated maps interactively, providing seamless zooming, navigation, and annotation exploration.
Purpose of the Visualization
The visualization is primarily exploratory, intended to help users:
- Explore historical context by navigating interactively across different map regions.
- Understand colonial and military strategies through translated annotations.
- Discover patterns and spatial relationships, such as strategic military routes, geographic influences on planning, and the interaction between Japanese military ambitions and geographic realities.
Styling and Clarity
To enhance clarity and user experience, we:
- Matched annotation colors (red and blue) with the original map colors, clearly distinguishing between different original annotation categories.
- Provided interactive tooltips: Clicking on annotations reveals concise English translations, including place names, area types, and historical descriptions.
- Ensured readability and simplicity: We minimized visual clutter to highlight the map details and the significance of annotations.
- Color accessibility: Our primary use of red and blue colors directly matches the original historical annotations. These colors do not convey specific meanings beyond replicating the original map annotations. Currently, additional accessibility measures for users with visual impairments have not been implemented. However, in future iterations, textual descriptions indicating whether annotations are in blue or red will be added to ensure accessibility for visually impaired users.
Embedded Visualization
Below is the interactive annotated map visualization.
References & Tools
- Omeka S: https://omeka.org/s/
- SimpleAnnotationServer (SAS): https://github.com/glenrobson/SimpleAnnotationServer
- Mirador Viewer: https://projectmirador.org/
- IIIF (International Image Interoperability Framework): https://iiif.io/
