diff --git a/common/autoware_pyplot/CMakeLists.txt b/common/autoware_pyplot/CMakeLists.txt
index 6922d5d9306f7..5871929676a2d 100644
--- a/common/autoware_pyplot/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/common/autoware_pyplot/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -15,8 +15,12 @@ autoware_package()
 ament_auto_add_library(${PROJECT_NAME} STATIC
   DIRECTORY src
 )
+target_compile_options(${PROJECT_NAME} PUBLIC "-fPIC")
 target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME} ${Python3_LIBRARIES} pybind11::embed)
 
+# NOTE(soblin): this is workaround for propagating the include of "Python.h" to user modules to avoid "'Python.h' not found"
+ament_export_include_directories(${Python3_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+
 if(BUILD_TESTING)
   find_package(ament_cmake_ros REQUIRED)
 
diff --git a/common/autoware_test_utils/include/autoware_test_utils/visualization.hpp b/common/autoware_test_utils/include/autoware_test_utils/visualization.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..c2185e65422e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/autoware_test_utils/include/autoware_test_utils/visualization.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,229 @@
+// Copyright 2024 TIER IV
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+// NOTE(soblin): this file is intentionally inline to deal with link issue
+
+#ifndef AUTOWARE_TEST_UTILS__VISUALIZATION_HPP_
+#define AUTOWARE_TEST_UTILS__VISUALIZATION_HPP_
+
+#include <autoware/pyplot/patches.hpp>
+#include <autoware/pyplot/pyplot.hpp>
+
+#include <lanelet2_core/primitives/Lanelet.h>
+#include <lanelet2_core/primitives/LineString.h>
+#include <lanelet2_core/primitives/Point.h>
+#include <lanelet2_core/primitives/Polygon.h>
+#include <pybind11/stl.h>
+
+#include <algorithm>
+#include <optional>
+#include <string>
+#include <utility>
+#include <vector>
+
+namespace autoware::test_utils
+{
+
+struct PointConfig
+{
+  std::optional<std::string> color{};
+  std::optional<std::string> marker{};
+  std::optional<double> marker_size{};
+};
+
+struct LineConfig
+{
+  static constexpr const char * default_color = "blue";
+  static LineConfig defaults()
+  {
+    return LineConfig{std::string(default_color), 1.0, "solid", std::nullopt};
+  }
+  std::optional<std::string> color{};
+  std::optional<double> linewidth{};
+  std::optional<std::string> linestyle{};
+  std::optional<std::string> label{};
+};
+
+struct LaneConfig
+{
+  static LaneConfig defaults() { return LaneConfig{std::nullopt, LineConfig::defaults(), true}; }
+
+  std::optional<std::string> label{};
+  std::optional<LineConfig> line_config{};
+  bool plot_centerline = true;  //<! if true, centerline is plotted in the same style as line_config
+                                // except for {"style"_a = "dashed"}
+};
+
+struct PolygonConfig
+{
+  std::optional<double> alpha{};
+  std::optional<std::string> color{};
+  bool fill{true};
+  std::optional<double> linewidth{};
+  std::optional<PointConfig> point_config{};
+};
+
+/**
+ * @brief plot the linestring by `axes.plot()`
+ * @param [in] config_opt argument for plotting the linestring. if valid, each field is used as the
+ * kwargs
+ */
+inline void plot_lanelet2_object(
+  const lanelet::ConstLineString3d & line, autoware::pyplot::Axes & axes,
+  const std::optional<LineConfig> & config_opt = std::nullopt)
+{
+  py::dict kwargs{};
+  if (config_opt) {
+    const auto & config = config_opt.value();
+    if (config.color) {
+      kwargs["color"] = config.color.value();
+    }
+    if (config.linewidth) {
+      kwargs["linewidth"] = config.linewidth.value();
+    }
+    if (config.linestyle) {
+      kwargs["linestyle"] = config.linestyle.value();
+    }
+    if (config.label) {
+      kwargs["label"] = config.label.value();
+    }
+  }
+  std::vector<double> xs;
+  for (const auto & p : line) {
+    xs.emplace_back(p.x());
+  }
+  std::vector<double> ys;
+  for (const auto & p : line) {
+    ys.emplace_back(p.y());
+  }
+  axes.plot(Args(xs, ys), kwargs);
+}
+
+/**
+ * @brief plot the left/right bounds and optionally centerline
+ * @param [in] args used for plotting the left/right bounds as
+ */
+inline void plot_lanelet2_object(
+  const lanelet::ConstLanelet & lanelet, autoware::pyplot::Axes & axes,
+  const std::optional<LaneConfig> & config_opt = std::nullopt)
+{
+  const auto left = lanelet.leftBound();
+  const auto right = lanelet.rightBound();
+
+  const auto line_config = [&]() -> std::optional<LineConfig> {
+    if (!config_opt) {
+      return LineConfig{std::string(LineConfig::default_color)};
+    }
+    return config_opt.value().line_config;
+  }();
+
+  if (config_opt) {
+    const auto & config = config_opt.value();
+
+    // plot lanelet centerline
+    if (config.plot_centerline) {
+      auto centerline_config = [&]() -> LineConfig {
+        if (!config.line_config) {
+          return LineConfig{"k", std::nullopt, "dashed"};
+        }
+        auto cfg = config.line_config.value();
+        cfg.color = "k";
+        cfg.linestyle = "dashed";
+        return cfg;
+      }();
+      plot_lanelet2_object(
+        lanelet.centerline(), axes, std::make_optional<LineConfig>(std::move(centerline_config)));
+    }
+
+    // plot lanelet-id
+    const auto center = (left.front().basicPoint2d() + left.back().basicPoint2d() +
+                         right.front().basicPoint2d() + right.back().basicPoint2d()) /
+                        4.0;
+    axes.text(Args(center.x(), center.y(), std::to_string(lanelet.id())));
+  }
+
+  if (config_opt && config_opt.value().label) {
+    auto left_line_config_for_legend = line_config ? line_config.value() : LineConfig::defaults();
+    left_line_config_for_legend.label = config_opt.value().label.value();
+
+    // plot left
+    plot_lanelet2_object(lanelet.leftBound(), axes, left_line_config_for_legend);
+
+    // plot right
+    plot_lanelet2_object(lanelet.rightBound(), axes, line_config);
+  } else {
+    // plot left
+    plot_lanelet2_object(lanelet.leftBound(), axes, line_config);
+
+    // plot right
+    plot_lanelet2_object(lanelet.rightBound(), axes, line_config);
+  }
+
+  // plot centerline direction
+  const auto centerline_size = lanelet.centerline().size();
+  const auto mid_index = centerline_size / 2;
+  const auto before = static_cast<size_t>(std::max<int>(0, mid_index - 1));
+  const auto after = static_cast<size_t>(std::min<int>(centerline_size - 1, mid_index + 1));
+  const auto p_before = lanelet.centerline()[before];
+  const auto p_after = lanelet.centerline()[after];
+  const double azimuth = std::atan2(p_after.y() - p_before.y(), p_after.x() - p_before.x());
+  const auto & mid = lanelet.centerline()[mid_index];
+  axes.quiver(
+    Args(mid.x(), mid.y(), std::cos(azimuth), std::sin(azimuth)), Kwargs("units"_a = "width"));
+}
+
+/**
+ * @brief plot the polygon as matplotlib.patches.Polygon
+ * @param [in] config_opt argument for plotting the polygon. if valid, each field is used as the
+ * kwargs
+ */
+inline void plot_lanelet2_object(
+  const lanelet::ConstPolygon3d & polygon, autoware::pyplot::Axes & axes,
+  const std::optional<PolygonConfig> & config_opt = std::nullopt)
+{
+  std::vector<std::vector<double>> xy(polygon.size());
+  for (unsigned i = 0; i < polygon.size(); ++i) {
+    xy.at(i) = std::vector<double>({polygon[i].x(), polygon[i].y()});
+  }
+  py::dict kwargs;
+  if (config_opt) {
+    const auto & config = config_opt.value();
+    if (config.alpha) {
+      kwargs["alpha"] = config.alpha.value();
+    }
+    if (config.color) {
+      kwargs["color"] = config.color.value();
+    }
+    kwargs["fill"] = config.fill;
+    if (config.linewidth) {
+      kwargs["linewidth"] = config.linewidth.value();
+    }
+  }
+  auto poly = autoware::pyplot::Polygon(Args(xy), kwargs);
+  axes.add_patch(Args(poly.unwrap()));
+}
+
+/**
+ * @brief plot the point by `axes.plot()`
+ * @param [in] config_opt argument for plotting the point. if valid, each field is used as the
+ * kwargs
+ */
+/*
+void plot_lanelet2_point(
+const lanelet::ConstPoint3d & point, autoware::pyplot::Axes & axes,
+const std::optional<PointConfig> & config_opt = std::nullopt);
+*/
+}  // namespace autoware::test_utils
+
+#endif  // AUTOWARE_TEST_UTILS__VISUALIZATION_HPP_
diff --git a/common/autoware_test_utils/package.xml b/common/autoware_test_utils/package.xml
index 22572abb72b69..c328f37ba357d 100644
--- a/common/autoware_test_utils/package.xml
+++ b/common/autoware_test_utils/package.xml
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
   <depend>autoware_map_msgs</depend>
   <depend>autoware_perception_msgs</depend>
   <depend>autoware_planning_msgs</depend>
+  <depend>autoware_pyplot</depend>
   <depend>autoware_universe_utils</depend>
   <depend>autoware_vehicle_msgs</depend>
   <depend>lanelet2_io</depend>