How do I force Windows to recognize correct location?

Welcome James Gawne,

I understand how frustrating it can be when Windows is incorrectly detecting your location as Spain even though your actual location is Japan. 

Before proceeding, I’d like to clarify a couple of points to better narrow this down: 

• Are you using a VPN, proxy, or any security software that might alter network routing? 
• Does the wrong location appear specifically in Windows features (like Weather, Maps), or system-wide (e.g., Region settings, Store, etc.)? 

In the meantime, you can try these steps below to troubleshoot the issue:  

Option 1: Verify location services are enabled and reset 

• Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location 
• Turn Location services Off, then On again 
• Scroll down and click Clear under Location history 

Option 2: Set and confirm default location manually 

• Open Maps app 
• Click your profile picture or settings 
• Select Set default location and choose your correct location in Japan 

Option 3: Check Region and language settings 

• Go to Settings > Time & language > Language & region 
• Ensure Country or region is set to Japan 
• Confirm Regional format matches Japan 

Option 4: Restart Windows Location Service 

• Press Windows + R, type services.msc 
• Find Geolocation Service 
• Restart it and ensure Startup type is set to Automatic 

Option 5: Reset Windows location data cache 

• Press Windows + R and navigate to: C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Location 
• Delete the contents of this folder (if accessible) 
• Restart your PC 

I hope the steps above help you deal with your issue.  

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