Recently, Yokohama National University (YNU) published a feature newsletter on the university’s official website highlighting the work my colleagues, my professor, and I have been doing to visualize Japan’s macroeconomic data.
What is the Project About?¶
Our goal is to make complex economic indicators—such as GDP growth, inflation rates, and labor statistics—accessible and intuitive. Instead of staring at static spreadsheets, our platform allows users to see the “flow” of the Japanese economy through interactive charts and real-time data mapping.
Why This Matters¶
Macroeconomics can often feel abstract. By building this visualization site, we hope to:
Bridge the Gap: Translate complex economic theories into visual realities that are easier to grasp.
Empower Educators: Simplify lesson prep by allowing professors to easily export high-quality visuals for their slides and lectures.
Promote Open Learning: For every graph we create, we provide the Python code used to generate it. This allows students to not only see the data but also learn the programming logic behind the visualization.
The Journey So Far¶
Working alongside my professor and a talented team of colleagues has been an incredible learning experience. From developing interactive visualizations to building automation programs that handle data processing and graph generation, every step has challenged us to think more deeply about user experience.