A soft x-ray scanning photoelectron microscope (SPEM) is a promising tool for investigating heterogeneous chemical and electronic states of a sample surface at high lateral resolution. Recent progress in a synchrotron radiation source in combination with high precision machining technologies has made it possible to generate intense microbeams in the soft x-ray region and to visualize the spatial distribution of the chemical/electronic states of the sample surface. This article reviews recent SPEM developments in synchrotron radiation facilities and details our progress on the SPEM installed at the soft x-ray beamline of the Photon Factory (KEK-PF) in Tsukuba, Japan.