Compass vs true north, country by country
A compass does not point to true north, and the gap changes from city to city. Vastu needs true north, so your score corrects it for your own city.
| Country | City | Compass vs true north |
|---|---|---|
| Japan | Sapporo | 9.9° west |
| Japan | Sendai | 8.6° west |
| Japan | Saitama | 8.0° west |
| Japan | Tokyo | 7.9° west |
| The Philippines | Baguio | 3.1° west |
| The Philippines | Angeles City | 2.8° west |
| The Philippines | Quezon City | 2.8° west |
| The Philippines | Manila | 2.7° west |
| Indonesia | Medan | 0.2° west |
| Indonesia | Batam | 0.3° east |
| Indonesia | Manado | 0.5° west |
| Indonesia | Pekanbaru | 0.1° east |
| Thailand | Chiang Mai | 0.9° west |
| Thailand | Udon Thani | 1.0° west |
| Thailand | Khon Kaen | 1.0° west |
| Thailand | Nakhon Ratchasima | 0.8° west |
Calculated for 2026 with the World Magnetic Model WMM-2025 (NOAA / British Geological Survey). "East" means a compass points to the east of true north.
Vastu in Japan
Yes. Vastu Shastra is organised around directions, which are the same in Tokyo as in India, so its guidance applies to a 2LDK in Nishikasai as much as to a flat in Pune. Two things stand out in Japan. The compass points about 8° west of true north in Tokyo and nearly 10° in Hokkaido, enough to move rooms near a zone boundary. And Japan has its own direction tradition, kasō, which treats the north-east as the kimon, the "demon gate", and agrees with Vastu more than many people expect.
Japanese homes, read correctly
LDK is read as the living room with its kitchen; 洋室 (Western-style room) as a bedroom; 和室 (tatami room) as a bedroom unless you use it as a living or guest room. You can change any room on the confirm screen.
Read as the entrance. Your apartment door is the main door that is checked, with its exact position (pada) on its wall.
The bath is read as a bathroom, the washroom (senmenjo) as a utility room and the separate toilet as a toilet. The north-east and the centre of the home are the places tradition avoids for both.
Futon closets are read as closets, a nando or service room as storage. Traditionally best for heavy storage: South-West, South or West, where heavy storage is traditionally placed.
Read as an outdoor area. Traditionally best: North, North-East or East.
A butsuma or a kamidana shelf is read as a prayer space, as is a pooja corner. Traditionally best: North-East (Ishanya), traditionally the most sacred zone.
Kimon and Vastu: two traditions that agree on the north-east
Kasō, the Japanese tradition of reading a house by its directions, treats the north-east as the kimon (鬼門, the demon gate) and the south-west as the ura-kimon (裏鬼門). Many Japanese families avoid putting the entrance, the toilet or the bath in those directions. Vastu is a separate tradition from India, but it reaches some of the same conclusions:
| Kasō (Japan) | Vastu Shastra (India) | |
|---|---|---|
| North-east | The kimon: keep it clean; avoid a toilet, bath or entrance | The most sacred zone (Ishanya): keep it open and light; avoid a toilet |
| South-west | The ura-kimon: also kept free of water and the entrance | The zone of stability: best for the main bedroom and heavy storage |
| The centre | Many practitioners avoid a toilet or a stair at the centre | The Brahmasthan: kept open, free of toilets, stairs and heavy walls |
| Which north | Practitioners differ on magnetic or true north | VastuIQ uses true north |
VastuIQ gives a Vastu reading only. If you also follow kasō, the two will often point the same way, especially about the north-east.
Renting, mansions and the management association
Many families in Japan rent, and in a condominium (mansion) the management association (kanri kumiai) sets rules for the outside, the balconies and the shared parts. Choose Renting or Own it (building rules) in the tool and the report leads with fixes you can make yourself: how rooms are used, where the futon or the bed and the desk go, colours, lighting and keeping the north-east and the centre clear.
Questions about Vastu in Japan
Does Vastu work in Japan?
Vastu Shastra is organised around directions, which are the same in Japan as in India, so its room-by-direction guidance can be applied to a Japanese apartment or house. What matters is correcting the compass and reading Japanese rooms properly. Vastu is a tradition; it does not promise outcomes.
What is the difference between kimon and Vastu?
They are separate traditions: kasō from Japan, Vastu from India. Both treat the north-east as a direction to keep clean and free of toilets, and both care about the centre of the home. They differ on the south-west and on some details. VastuIQ gives a Vastu reading only.
How far off is a compass in Tokyo or Osaka?
About 8° west in Tokyo, 8° west in Osaka, 8° west in Fukuoka, 10° west in Sapporo and 6° west in Naha (World Magnetic Model). Vastu uses true north, so VastuIQ corrects every reading for your city.
Can I upload a madori labelled in Japanese?
Yes. Labels such as LDK, 洋室, 和室, 玄関, 浴室, 洗面所, トイレ, 押入 and バルコニー are understood, and on the confirm screen you see how each room has been read and can change it. The report is in English.
How does Vastu treat a tatami room?
A tatami room (washitsu) is read as a bedroom by default. If you use it as a living room, a guest room or a prayer room, change it on the confirm screen and it is scored for that use.
Vastu in the Philippines
Yes. Vastu Shastra is organised around directions, which are the same in the Philippines as in India, so its guidance applies to a condo in Makati as much as to one in Mumbai. Indian families have lived in Manila and across the islands for generations, many of them Punjabi. The compass points about 3° west of true north in Metro Manila, a small correction VastuIQ applies for you. What stands out here is the sun: Manila lies about 14½° north of the equator, so the midday sun is high all year and in the northern sky for over three months.
Philippine homes, read correctly
Many Filipino homes cook the frying and the stews outside the main kitchen, in a dirty kitchen at the back. Mark it as a kitchen: where its stove stands is what the classical texts care about, and the south-east is their first choice.
Often a small room off the service area. Mark it as a staff bedroom; the classical place for one is the north-west.
Where the washing machine and the drying racks go. Mark it as a utility area; the north-west or the south-east suit it by tradition.
A covered lanai or patio counts as open space. Tradition likes open space to the north and east of a home.
Read as parking. Traditionally best: North-West, traditionally the zone of movement (Vayu). South-East is also acceptable.
Mark the outline of your own unit. The door you unlock to enter it is the one whose position (pada) is checked; the lobby and the lift are not part of it.
Pre-selling condos: choose the unit before it is built
Many condos in Metro Manila and Cebu are sold pre-selling, from the developer's plans, years before turnover. That is exactly what VastuIQ reads. Upload the unit plan, set north from the building's site plan or a map, confirm the rooms and compare units free, including the same layout on different floors or sides of the tower, before you pay the reservation fee. Foreigners can own condominium units within the share of a project allowed by law; check the current rules with the developer or a lawyer. VastuIQ gives Vastu guidance only.
The sun over a Philippine home
India's midday sun sits in the southern sky for most of the year, and the classical texts assume it. In Metro Manila it is on the north side of the sky for about 108 days, centred on June, when it stands about 81° high; in December it is about 52° high, to the south. In Davao, closer to the equator, the northern spell lasts about 148 days.
VastuIQ keeps the classical directions all the same. Two local facts are worth knowing when you pick a unit: the habagat, the south-west monsoon, drives the heaviest rain onto south- and west-facing walls from June to September, and west-facing units heat up through the afternoon. Units that open to the north or east avoid both, and that is also the side classical Vastu wants open.
Subdivisions and the homeowners' association
In a house in a subdivision or a gated village, the homeowners' association sets rules for the front of the house and the shared roads; in a condo, the condominium corporation and the property manager do. Choose Own it (building rules) and the report leads with fixes inside the home, marking anything structural as "If renovating".
Questions about Vastu in the Philippines
Does Vastu work in the Philippines?
Yes. The tradition works by compass direction, and north, east, south and west mean the same in Makati as in Mumbai. Get north right on the plan, mark Filipino spaces such as the dirty kitchen and the lanai properly, and the reading holds. Vastu is a tradition; it does not promise outcomes.
Can I check a pre-selling unit from the brochure?
Yes, and that is the best time to do it, before you pay the reservation fee. Use the site plan in the brochure to find north, because unit plans are usually drawn to fit the page rather than to the compass.
My house has a dirty kitchen and a clean kitchen. Which one counts?
Both. Each is scored where it stands. If one of them falls in the south-east, the classical first choice for fire, the report treats that as your main cooking place.
Do I need to correct my compass for Vastu in the Philippines?
Slightly: about 3° west in Metro Manila, 3° west in Baguio, 2° west in Cebu and 1° west in Davao (World Magnetic Model). VastuIQ applies it automatically.
The sun is in the north part of the year here. Does Vastu change?
The Philippines is north of the equator, so VastuIQ keeps the classical directions. The report shows the sun facts for your address as measurements beside the Vastu reading, not as Vastu rules.
Vastu in Indonesia
Yes. Vastu Shastra is organised around directions, which are the same in Indonesia as in India, so its guidance applies to a house in Jakarta as much as to one in Chennai, and Indonesia's Indian families, from Tamil families in Medan to Sindhi families in Jakarta, have been here for generations. The compass is within about 1° of true north. Two things make Indonesia different. The equator runs through it, so Medan lies north of it while Jakarta, Surabaya and Bali lie south. And Bali has its own Hindu building tradition, Asta Kosala Kosali, which orients a home by the mountain and the sea rather than by the compass.
Indonesian homes, read correctly
Ruang tamu, ruang keluarga, dapur, ruang makan, kamar tidur, kamar tidur utama, kamar mandi, gudang, teras, taman, garasi and tangga are read as living room, family room, kitchen, dining room, bedroom, main bedroom, bathroom, storage, terrace, garden, garage and stairs.
A clean kitchen and a dirty kitchen are both read as kitchens, each by its own direction. Traditionally best: South-East, the zone traditionally linked with Agni (fire). North-West is the usual second choice.
The helper's room is read as a staff bedroom. Traditionally best: North-West, the zone traditionally linked with Vayu (air) and movement.
A pooja room, a musholla or a Balinese sanggah is read as a prayer space. Traditionally best by Vastu: North-East (Ishanya), traditionally the most sacred zone.
Read as outdoor areas. Traditionally best: North, North-East or East.
Read as parking. Traditionally best: North-West, traditionally the zone of movement (Vayu). South-East is also acceptable.
Bali: Asta Kosala Kosali, kaja and kelod
Balinese Hindus have their own tradition of building, Asta Kosala Kosali, which shares roots with Vastu but orients a home differently: by kaja, the direction of the mountains, and kelod, the direction of the sea, together with kangin (sunrise) and kauh (sunset). The family shrine, the sanggah or merajan, goes in the kaja-kangin corner, towards the mountain and the sunrise. Because kaja points to the island's mountains, it is roughly north in the south of Bali and roughly south in the north of the island.
VastuIQ gives a Vastu reading by compass direction only. In southern Bali, where kaja-kangin is roughly the north-east, the two traditions agree on the most sacred corner. In northern Bali they do not, and the report does not choose for you: follow your family's tradition and your undagi (traditional architect) for Asta Kosala Kosali.
Owning a home in Indonesia
Most houses are bought in a housing estate (perumahan) or a cluster, where the developer's or the estate's rules may cover the front of the house, and many apartments are sold from the developer's plan. Foreigners usually hold a right of use (hak pakai) rather than freehold; check the current rules with a notary. Choose Own it (building rules) in the tool and the report leads with fixes inside the home.
Questions about Vastu in Indonesia
Does Vastu work in Indonesia?
Vastu Shastra is organised around directions, which are the same in Indonesia as in India, so its room-by-direction guidance can be applied to an Indonesian house or apartment. What matters is setting north correctly on the denah and reading the rooms properly. Vastu is a tradition; it does not promise outcomes.
Jakarta is south of the equator. Does that change Vastu?
Practitioners disagree about homes south of the equator. Jakarta lies only about 6° south, so the midday sun is in the northern sky for most of the year but in the southern sky for about 148 days. VastuIQ scores the classical directions and shows the flipped reading beside any room where it would change the result a lot.
Is Asta Kosala Kosali the same as Vastu?
They are related but not the same. Both come from the same Indian roots, but Asta Kosala Kosali orients a Balinese home by the mountain (kaja) and the sea (kelod) rather than by the compass. VastuIQ gives a Vastu reading only.
Do I need to correct my compass for Vastu in Indonesia?
Hardly: about 1° east in Jakarta, 1° east in Surabaya, 0° west in Medan and 1° east in Denpasar (World Magnetic Model). The bigger risk is a denah whose north arrow is missing or wrong.
Can I upload a plan labelled in Indonesian?
Yes. Common labels such as ruang tamu, kamar tidur, dapur, kamar mandi, gudang and teras are understood. On the confirm screen you see how each room has been read and can change it. The report is in English.
Vastu in Thailand
Yes. Vastu Shastra is organised around directions, which are the same in Thailand as in India, so its guidance applies to a condo off Sukhumvit as much as to one in Mumbai. Thailand already has a long Hindu-Brahmin thread in its culture, from royal ceremonies to the shrines on Bangkok street corners, so the idea of placing a home by direction is not new here. The compass is within about 1° of true north (1° west in Bangkok). What stands out is the sun: Bangkok lies about 14° north of the equator, so the midday sun is high all year and in the northern sky for about four months.
Thai homes, read correctly
Many homes have a closed Thai kitchen for heavy cooking and an open Western or "pantry" kitchen. Both are read as kitchens, each by its own direction. Traditionally best: South-East, the zone traditionally linked with Agni (fire). North-West is the usual second choice.
Read as a staff bedroom. Traditionally best: North-West, the zone traditionally linked with Vayu (air) and movement.
Read as outdoor areas. Traditionally best: North, North-East or East.
A spirit house (san phra phum) in the garden stands outside the home's outline and is not scored. A pooja room or shrine inside is read as a prayer space.
Read as a utility area. Traditionally best: North-West or South-East, the air and fire zones.
In a condo, your own front door is the main door that is checked, with its exact position (pada) on its wall, not the lobby or the lift.
Buying a condo in Thailand
Foreign buyers in Thailand usually buy condominium units, within the share of each building that can be foreign-owned, and many units are sold from the developer's plan before the building is finished. That plan is exactly what VastuIQ reads: upload it, set north from the master plan or a map of the tower, confirm the rooms and compare units free, including the same layout on different sides of the building, before you pay the booking deposit. Check current ownership rules with a lawyer; VastuIQ gives Vastu guidance only.
The sun over a Thai home
Classical Vastu was written in India, where the midday sun is in the south for most of the year. In Bangkok it is in the northern sky for about 112 days, centred on June, and stands about 80° above the horizon then; in December it is about 53° high, to the south. In Chiang Mai, further north, the northern spell is shorter, about 76 days.
VastuIQ keeps the classical directions. In a Thai condo the west-facing rooms take the hottest afternoon sun, so a north- or east-facing balcony, which classical Vastu also prefers open, is often the cooler one.
Questions about Vastu in Thailand
Does Vastu work in Thailand?
Vastu Shastra is organised around directions, which are the same in Thailand as in India, so its room-by-direction guidance can be applied to a Thai condo or house. What matters is setting north correctly on the plan and reading local rooms such as the Thai kitchen properly. Vastu is a tradition; it does not promise outcomes.
Can I check a condo unit from the developer's brochure?
Yes. Upload the unit plan, set north from the master plan or a map of the tower, confirm the rooms and you get a free score in a few minutes. Brochure plans are often turned to fit the page, so check north carefully.
How does Vastu treat a separate Thai kitchen?
It is read as a kitchen and scored by its own direction, like the open Western kitchen. Tradition places cooking with fire best in the south-east, with the north-west as the usual second choice.
Do I need to correct my compass for Vastu in Thailand?
Hardly: about 1° west in Bangkok, 1° west in Chiang Mai, 1° west in Pattaya and 0° west in Phuket (World Magnetic Model). The bigger risk is a plan whose north arrow is missing or wrong.
Does a spirit house affect the Vastu score?
No. A spirit house stands outside the home and is not part of the Vastu reading. VastuIQ reads the home itself: its rooms, its centre and its main door.
Vastu for homes in other countries
Written by Manoj Jangra, founder of VastuIQ. Last updated 9 November 2026.
Vastu Shastra is a traditional and cultural practice. VastuIQ reports are not engineering, legal, financial or medical advice and do not promise any outcome.