AuthaGraph World Map Poster

Introducing the AuthaGraph world map

Most of us grew up with a world map that quietly gets things wrong. Greenland looks as big as Africa, Europe seems far larger than it is and Antarctica is stretched into a long white strip along the bottom, if it appears at all. The AuthaGraph world map takes a completely different approach. Invented by Japanese architect Hajime Narukawa in 1999, it shows every continent and ocean with area proportions kept close to true, all within a neat rectangular frame with no gaps or overlaps.

This poster is officially licensed and produced under licence from AuthaGraph Co. in Japan, so you are getting the genuine design rather than an imitation.

How the AuthaGraph world map works

Narukawa divided the surface of the globe into 96 equal triangles, transferred them onto a tetrahedron (a four-sided pyramid) while keeping their relative areas, then unfolded that shape into a flat rectangle. The result is a map that keeps sizes much more faithful than familiar projections such as Mercator, while still giving you a practical, wall-friendly shape. Because the triangles each hold their correct area but are not controlled at every tiny scale, it is described as approximately equal-area rather than strictly equal-area. In practice that means a world view that feels far more honest than the one most of us are used to.

The map also tiles in every direction without visible seams, which is why there are no real “edges of the world” here. Look at the bottom corner and you will see Antarctica sitting close to South America, Africa and Australia, exactly as it does on a globe.

What you will see on the poster

At the centre is a full colour political world map, with countries picked out in bright, distinct colours and oceans in a soft blue. Around it, the AuthaGraph world map repeats in subtle grey tones, showing how the design tessellates seamlessly in every direction. Along the bottom, a five-step diagram explains how the sphere becomes 96 triangles, then a tetrahedron, then the finished rectangle. Place names, oceans and explanatory notes are printed in both English and Japanese, which gives the poster a distinctive look and makes it a lovely talking point.

An award-winning AuthaGraph world map

The projection won the Good Design Grand Award in Japan in 2016, the top prize from the Japan Institute of Design Promotion. It was also chosen as the official mapping tool of Miraikan, the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Tokyo, and in 2024 it was named in Nebraska law as one of the map types approved for use in the state’s public schools.

Who is the AuthaGraph world map for?

It is a brilliant choice for classrooms and libraries, for geography lovers who have outgrown Mercator, and for anyone who likes design with a clever idea behind it. It also makes a thoughtful gift for students, teachers, travellers and anyone with a link to Japan.

Sizes and print details

• Available in A1 and A0.
• Printed on satin finish (semi-gloss) paper.
• 260gsm for UK orders, 200gsm for rest of world orders.
• Supplied as an unframed poster.
• Bilingual English and Japanese labelling.
• Officially licensed from AuthaGraph Co., Japan.