On March 6, 2026, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism released a 3D city model and point cloud data of the Osaka-Kansai Expo site free of charge.
(Source: https://www.geospatial.jp/ckan/dataset/plateau-27999-osaka-shi-2025）
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has released a 3D city model and point cloud data for the 2025 World Exposition in Japan (Osaka-Kansai Expo) free of charge as part of Project PLATEAU.
For download instructions and other details, please check the official G-Spatial Information Center website.
What is Project PLATEAU?
Project PLATEAU is a project to develop, utilize, and make open data 3D city models (a 3D information platform that recreates urban spaces by adding information such as names, uses, and construction years to buildings and streets) for all of Japan. Launched in 2020, it is led by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. It is used in a variety of fields, including disaster prevention, environmental issues, and urban development.
There is also an example of PLATEAU being used in the popular game Minecraft. In February 2026, the general incorporated association Sustainable Map held an event in Kawasaki City. The aim was for children to experience a realistic cityscape in Minecraft, and to see the city’s administrative plans as issues that are close to them.
It has also been used as a mod for the city development game “Cities: Skylines.” We developed a system that allows you to import 3D city models into the game and run a city management simulation set in a real city.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is also putting effort into utilizing 3D city models, such as by hosting the annual “PLATEAU AWARD,” which solicits submissions for commercial services and entertainment apps.
Many other use cases are also available on PLATEAU’s official website.
The 3D city models released this time are free to use, but commercial use, sales promotion, advertising, merchandising, or other profit-making purposes are strictly prohibited.
Regarding the 3D city model of the Osaka-Kansai Expo that was released, there have been comments on social media that it could also be used to create worlds for VRChat and other applications. It will be interesting to see future use cases.
This article is an English translation of an original Japanese article, translated by the Mogura VR editorial team.
reference
https://www.geospatial.jp/ckan/dataset/plateau-27999-osaka-shi-2025
https://x.com/geospatialjp/status/2029819952434442732?s=46&t=Hl0xUEFcqjxZJ8Mmp-XRHA
