2. The Possibility of Sharing Spatial Data and Research Cooperation Within East Asia Countries

For the stable growth of East Asia, a common spatial development perspective, which proposes sustainable and balanced development for the whole region, will be necessary in the future. Three East Asian countries in particular—Japan, China, and Korea—have practiced the interchange of people, money, and information in various fields, but they have not realized the common fruit that should be the result of essential cooperation and coordination. This chapter proposes the possibility of sharing spatial data and research cooperation by referring to a case involving ESDI (European Spatial Data Infrastructure) and ESPON (European Spatial Planning Observation Network) of the EU. The first steps in such a cooperative effort would include developing spatial indicators, analyzing trends, and constructing visual representations of the research results, all of which would assist in understanding the East Asian region and each country’s situation. Such progress would also serve as (1) the basis for regional cooperation in spatial development planning, (2) a visual indicator showing balanced development in each region, (3) educational material to enhance the Asian identity, and (4) an assessment indicator for concentrated investment in backward regions. As a follow-up to the maps created for this project, several tasks should be carried out for setting up an East Asian Spatial Data Infrastructure: (1) produce a common seamless map from the national to the regional level showing existing conditions, (2) set comparable regional units based on population and territory size, (3) unify statistical units and comparable regional units by collecting data under the same definitions, and (4) increase the range of use by integrating the global map with regional statistical data. To implement these processes, cooperation and collaboration among related nations and research institutions are necessary.