----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Dear Chris:
 
There is definitely a problem with the Japanese and Korean map publishers.
Problems include language, the reluctance of small Japanese map publishing
companies to deal directly with american map sellers, the  pricing/minimum
orders placed on the map dealers by the publishers/distributors, etc.
Unlike the USA, there does not seem to be a dominant national publisher ala
Rand McNally, making it significantly harder to obtain material.  Dealing
with Naigai (a major customer of ours) has been unproductive from our
standpoint.
 
For Japan, the main publisher Japan Guide Map Co., has gone out of business
and there has been a delay in developing alternative sources.
 
We are in the process of obtaining stock from three other publishers -
Jinbunsha, Nippon Kouseisha, and Shobunsha.  These publishers fill in most
of the gaps left by the demise of JGM.  Another publisher, Kodansha, offers
some excellent maps of Japan and  major cities, in English or bilingual,
plus three excellent street/road atlases of Japan, Tokyo, and Tokyo rail/bus
systems (all bilingual).
 
For Korea, we have just not had any luck getting anything out of Korea.
Requests to the Korean embassy for contact information on map publishers has
yielded nothing, inquiries to the Korean Bookpublishers Association also
yielded no response.
 
We will be attending the Singapore and Tokyo Book Fairs in January '98 (plus
a sidetrip to Seoul) which will allow us to pick up new suppliers for that
part of the world.
 
Hope this info helps,
Russell Guy
OMNI Resources
 
At 10:43 AM 4/15/97 EDT, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Can anyone supply the name of South Korean and Japanese vendors who
>regularly handle maps--and who can deal with orders from abroad? The
>"regular" map vendors, perhaps because of language problems, don't
>seem to offer as much depth for Korea and Japan as they do for many
>other countries ...
>
>Thanks.
>
>Chris Winters
>University of Chicago Library
>
>Internet:        [log in to unmask]
>
 
OMNI Resources
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http://www.omnimap.com