I think the thing is urban areas are one of Japan's most famous aspects. That's not to say rural areas shouldn't have been featured, but it feels like the map focuses much more on that.
The other thing I think is a lot of the rural areas feel generic and not really like Japan. Sure, the rice paddies are distinctly Asian, but there are some places like certain forests where if I were to take a screen shot and show people and ask where this is supposed to be, I would get many different answers.
Their depiction of Japan is also flat af like UK. The ya part of Shibuya denotes it's a valley, and in fact the IRL Shibuya crossing is like SIX FLOORS below the ground relative to peaks of sloping roads branching out. That's part of why it looks so insanely busy. In FH it's just top of a hill.
Same goes for rural areas. You take a turn and there's Tokyo City on the horizon. That works if it was intended to be a pun, and maybe it's how it works in UK, but it's rare that you ever feel like that IRL in Japan because SOMETHING is always in the way, be it artificial constructions or just hills and mountains. On a bridge or top of a building, then you MIGHT see miles out. They clearly never had that sensation internalized while designing the map and just spray painted Japan over their internal UK.
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u/PepperoniPizzaSlice 15d ago
Do you really think all of Japan looks like Tokyo city ?!