Japan’s Here Maps gets an update

Before (2012) and After (2015)

In 2012 we wrote that you should not plan to use a Windows Phone to navigate in Japan.

As can be seen screen shot above, the situation has improved dramatically in the last 3 years, with the addition of Points of Interest with appropriate icons to the maps.

Of course there are still no roads, meaning you may struggle getting directions to those locations.

It is of course items like these which may help explain the below 1% market share of Windows Phone in Japan.  With multiple new Japanese OEMs signing on recently we hope the appearance of the icons are a like the buds of Spring which herald a flowering of full support for the region, and we hope the next move wont take another 3 years.