About Chugoku Shimbun

Chugoku Shimbun is a Japanese local news media company based in Hiroshima City. Established in 1892, it has remained dedicated to peace journalism, delivering local news through its flagship Chugoku Shimbun newspaper, the Mimimi news app, and specialized platforms such as community app PokechuPi,and CarchiCachi!  designed for fans of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp baseball team.

A newspaper rooted in a historical place, Chugoku Shimbun plays a pivotal role in advocating for nuclear abolition and world peace. Through its Hiroshima Peace Media Center, it publishes multilingual content in English, French, Russian, and Chinese, broadening its reach and impact.

Modernizing traditional journalism with interactive maps

Traditional combinations of text and photos in print and digital reports increasingly struggle to engage readers today. Despite curating an extensive archive of investigative reports and in-depth articles, Chugoku Shimbun found it challenging to guide readers through informative content effectively. The team also noticed that in their coverage of sensitive and complex topics, the more detailed their reports became, the harder it was for general readers to grasp the broader context without a solid understanding of the historical background. This often resulted in a disconnect between the depth of the content and its ability to evoke empathy and understanding. 

To keep its commitment to delivering in-depth and impactful journalism, the team started searching for innovative ways to illustrate wider context and evolving narratives without sacrificing the integrity of their reporting. The team started to search for a solution that could make their content more interactive, visually appealing, and intuitive, while preserving the depth and accuracy that their readers value.

Data-driven map stories revitalize local reporting 

Mapbox tools and visualization features provide the perfect solution. Using Mapbox GL JS to support new digital storytelling formats, Chugoku Shimbun combines archival footage, precise location data, statistics, and custom map styles to create a powerful and interactive reader experience.

The “Under the Atomic Cloud” map-based feature, presented at the G7 Summit 2023 in Hiroshima, demonstrated the unmatched ability of maps to engage readers with historical events. Built with the GL JS-based Mapbox Interactive Storytelling template, the feature aligns historical timelines and events—tasks that are traditionally challenging to convey through text alone.

Efficient rendering, precise location data, and interactive features of Mapbox GL JS enabled the team to seamlessly link geographic locations to the devastating impact of the atomic bombing. By integrating historical photographs, eyewitness testimonies, and aerial maps, the Chugoku Shimbun team created an immersive timeline and deepened readers’ understanding and empathy.

Another impactful project, “Number of Nuclear Weapons in the World” offered a striking visual representation of global nuclear proliferation. Global coverage of Mapbox data enables the team to accurately illustrate the distribution and growth of nuclear arsenals over time, bringing clarity to a critical global issue.

Interactive maps also proved invaluable for other types of storytelling. For instance, Chugoku Shimbun developed “Miyaji Map”, a multilingual tourism guide for Miyajima. Mapbox GL JS, it supports local tourism while delivering clear, location-based insights to visitors in a visually engaging format.

From idea to implementation in weeks

Collaboration with Mapbox, comprehensive documentation, and implementation examples, allowed Chugoku Shimbun to bring concepts to life rapidly. The "Miyaji Map" that not only enriched user experiences, but showcased the potential for monetization through localized advertising and business promotions, was developed in just over a month. Similarly, immersive map-based projects for the G7 Summit were delivered within a tight three-month timeline, thanks to Mapbox flexibility, developer-friendly solutions and Technical support.

Mapbox supports a new model for place-based journalism

Using Mapbox maps, Chugoku Shimbun proves that traditional local journalism can thrive in the digital age. By complementing narratives with interactive maps and presenting historical events through online storytelling, the newspaper enhances reader engagement and emotional connection. 

From historical reporting and natural disasters to statistical and location-based data, Chugoku Shimbun delivers content as modern, interactive, and user-centric map-based stories. Mapbox customization and technical capabilities make even the most complex topics accessible to a wider audience, enabling Chugoku Shimbun to uphold its commitment to in-depth and impactful journalism.

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