Japanese Government Gifts Minecraft Players Free Map of Iconic Underground Tokyo

The Japanese government has unveiled a fascinating Minecraft map featuring the world's largest underground flood prevention facility, allowing players to explore one of Tokyo's hidden gems from the comfort of their own homes. This map, which can be downloaded for free, showcases the Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel, affectionately known as G-Cans.

G-Cans is not just a practical disaster prevention facility; it's also a visually striking location, renowned for its "pressure adjustment water tank." This awe-inspiring space, adorned with 59 massive pillars, resembles an underground temple—aptly nicknamed "chika shinden" in Japan. Its dramatic ambiance has made it a popular backdrop for music videos, Japanese TV dramas such as Kamen Rider, and even movies.

While tours of G-Cans are available during dry seasons, the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) has now brought this remarkable facility into the digital realm of Minecraft. The ministry has shared a video on their official YouTube channel that not only explains the purpose of G-Cans but also provides a glimpse into its Minecraft representation.

The Minecraft G-Cans map is more than just a replication of the facility; it also includes an overground area complete with rivers, homes, and neighborhoods. This design helps players understand how G-Cans protects real-life communities. Additionally, players can step into the control room and simulate draining flood water into the shafts, offering an interactive way to learn about its operations.

MLIT’s Minecraft recreation of G-Cans is intended as an educational tool, illustrating the facility's role in disaster prevention and highlighting its immense scale. In reality, G-Cans features over 6km of concrete tunnels beneath Saitama Prefecture in the Greater Tokyo Area. Its five shafts are crucial during Japan's rainy and typhoon seasons, capturing water from flood-prone rivers and gradually releasing it into the larger Edogawa River and Tokyo Bay. Since its completion in 2006 after over a decade of construction, G-Cans has been instrumental in mitigating flooding in the region.

You can download the G-Cans Minecraft map for free from the official website of the Edogawa River Office, which oversees the facility. To explore this digital marvel, ensure you have at least Version 1.21.1 of Minecraft Bedrock Edition or Version 1.21.0 of Minecraft Education Edition installed.