A shapefile cannot be inspected on its own — it normally needs GIS software. Select a ZIP containing the .shp, .shx and .dbf files, and the polygons, lines and points are drawn straight onto the map. No installation, no login, free to use, and everything is processed in your browser, so nothing is sent to a server. The converted GeoJSON (WGS84) downloads per layer as a ZIP, so the page doubles as a Shapefile-to-GeoJSON converter. When a ZIP has no .prj file, you can choose the datum the data was recorded in: a modern global datum (WGS84 / JGD2000 / JGD2011) or the legacy Tokyo Datum.

Shapefile & GeoJSON Guide

Shapefile Components

A Shapefile is not a single file but a collection of files with the same base name and different extensions. Understanding these components helps ensure successful conversion.

About the Conversion

This tool reads Shapefile ZIP archives and converts them to GeoJSON (WGS84). If a .prj file is included, the coordinates are automatically reprojected to WGS84 (EPSG:4326). Attribute data from the .dbf file is preserved in the GeoJSON "properties" member. When no .prj file is present the coordinate system cannot be determined, so a datum selector appears: coordinates in both datums look like ordinary longitude and latitude, so nothing in the file reveals which one was used. Japanese public data is sometimes published without a .prj in the legacy Tokyo Datum, and the wrong choice shifts every feature by several hundred meters.

Tips

- Include .shp, .shx, and .dbf files in the ZIP archive — all three are required.

- Always include the .prj file for correct coordinate system transformation.

- If attribute data contains non-ASCII characters, include a .cpg file specifying the encoding (e.g., UTF-8, Shift_JIS).

- The converted GeoJSON files can be downloaded and used in QGIS, Leaflet, Mapbox, and other GIS tools.

Tokyo Datum and JGD — why your Shapefile is 464 m off

Japanese public data is sometimes published without a .prj file, recorded in the legacy Tokyo Datum (EPSG:4301) rather than a modern global datum. Coordinates in both look like ordinary longitude and latitude, so nothing in the file reveals which one was used — yet the same coordinates land about 464 m apart in central Tokyo. When a ZIP has no .prj file this tool shows a datum selector: choose a modern global datum (WGS84 / JGD2000 / JGD2011) to use the coordinates as they are, or the Tokyo Datum to reproject them to WGS84. A filename ending in -tky is a good hint that the data is in the legacy datum.

Glossary

- Shapefile

- A shapefile is a widely used geospatial vector data format developed by Esri. A Shapefile consists of multiple files (.shp, .shx, .dbf, .prj, etc.) that together represent geometry, spatial index, attribute data, and coordinate system information. It is the de facto standard for exchanging vector GIS data.

- GeoJSON

- GeoJSON (Geographic JavaScript Object Notation) is a lightweight data interchange format for representing geographic spatial data. Based on the JSON format, it supports Point, LineString, Polygon, and collection types. Defined by RFC 7946, it is widely used in web mapping applications.

- WGS84 (EPSG:4326)

- WGS84 (World Geodetic System 1984) is the standard coordinate reference system used by GPS. It defines latitude and longitude on an ellipsoidal model of the Earth. EPSG:4326 is the identifier code for WGS84. GeoJSON requires all coordinates to be in WGS84.

- Tokyo Datum (EPSG:4301)

- The datum used in Japan until 2002, based on the Bessel ellipsoid. The same place has different longitude and latitude values from those in a modern global datum, and the gap on the ground is several hundred meters — about 464 m in central Tokyo. Current data uses JGD2011, but older shapefiles still carry the legacy datum. Because its values span the same range, it cannot be told apart automatically when a .prj file is missing.

- EPSG Code

- EPSG codes are numeric identifiers for coordinate reference systems, maintained by the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers. Common examples include EPSG:4326 (WGS84), EPSG:3857 (Web Mercator), and EPSG:2451 (JGD2000 / Japan Plane Rectangular CS IX). The .prj file in a Shapefile defines which coordinate system is used.

- dBASE (.dbf)

- dBASE is a legacy database file format used by Shapefiles to store attribute data. The .dbf file contains tabular data associated with each geometric feature. While the format is old, it remains essential for Shapefile compatibility and is read by all GIS software.

FAQ

- Q: Which files should I include in the ZIP?

- A: At minimum, include .shp, .shx, and .dbf files. We strongly recommend also including .prj (coordinate system) and .cpg (character encoding) for correct results. All files must share the same base name.

- Q: Is the coordinate system converted automatically?

- A: Yes, if a .prj file is included in the ZIP, coordinates are automatically reprojected to WGS84 (EPSG:4326), the standard for GeoJSON. Without a .prj file the datum cannot be detected, so a selector appears. Choosing a modern global datum (WGS84 / JGD2000 / JGD2011) uses the coordinates as they are; choosing the Tokyo Datum reprojects them to WGS84. The two are indistinguishable by value yet several hundred meters apart — about 464 m in central Tokyo.

- Q: How large a Shapefile can be converted?

- A: A 1.7 MB archive of Japanese public data holding 38 layers and 47,352 features converts and draws without the page stalling. Since all processing happens in the browser, the practical limit depends on your device's memory, and extremely large datasets may fail to open.

- Q: How do I open a SHP file?

- A: A Shapefile cannot be inspected on its own — it normally needs GIS software. On this page you select a ZIP containing the .shp, .shx and .dbf files, press Convert, and the data is drawn on the map. No installation, no login, free to use. Files are processed inside your browser and never sent to a server.

- Q: Can I view a Shapefile without installing QGIS?

- A: Yes. If you want to check what is inside a file, or see the area a dataset someone sent you covers, this page is enough. You will still need QGIS or similar GIS software to edit attributes or run spatial analysis.