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Japanese man uses sightseeing drones to help tourists get a bird’s-eye view of the surroundings

Koh Ruide Sep 2, 2019
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Tourism organizations ought to take notes from him.

Aerial drones have come a long way from being regarded as simple helicopter-like machines that can fly, as we have made them invaluable tools in capturing unforgettable memories or delivering goods to consumers by air.

But when Japanese Twitter user @TO_tuffy visited Tojinbo in Fukui Prefecture, he stumbled across yet another useful drone function when he spotted three kids with VR headsets having a great time and a man standing at the side fiddling with a panel.

▼ Drones turn out to be great sightseeing devices, too.
(Translation below)

東尋坊で驚いた商売。

道端で右のおじさんがドローンを操作して東尋坊の景色を撮る→真ん中の3人の親子がお金を払ってVRゴーグルでその景色をリアルタイムで見ているところ。

楽しそうだけど道端でパイプ椅子に座りながらの擬似遊覧飛行とは何ともシュールな絵面である🙄

でも1人500円とか良心的！ pic.twitter.com/zgN5v7KZBb

— タフィー (@TO_tuffy) August 26, 2019

“I found an astonishing service in Tojinbo. The man on the right was controlling a drone that captured footage in the air. The parents of those three kids paid money for them to wear VR headsets and view the surroundings in real-time.

It looks kinda fun, but watching them sit on foldable chairs and sightseeing this way just seems surreal to me. It’s only 500 yen (US$4.7) though, so I guess it’s fine.”

Although the entire setup looks like a hastily set up stall by a man looking to earn a quick buck, the service actually has an official webpage and is called the Tojinbo Virtual Sky Drone, charging 500 yen for viewing through the drone’s lens for 15 minutes or 1,000 yen for taking over the controls yourself.

▼ Despite it looking a little shabby, the store attracts plenty of tourists and locals.

But why would anyone want to travel to a place known for its majestic beauty, only to gaze through VR headsets instead of seeing with their own eyes? As it turns out, Tojinbo is famous for its series of cliffs that stretch into the Sea of Japan like outstretched fingers.

▼ And while taking pictures from the ground is great…

https://twitter.com/take156/status/1166213113407893504

▼ …viewing the cliffs in its entirety from a drone lens is far better.

▼ Not to mention you can snap commemorative photos at awesome angles which you simply cannot achieve on the ground.

What a great way to enrich everyone’s sightseeing experience with a simple setup like this. Throw in Internet connectivity and there are a whole lot of things you can do with it like real-time tours without even getting up from the couch.

If all goes well, we may even see more services like this scattered around Japan when spring arrives, taking cherry blossom viewing to the next level.

Source: Fuku Guide via Twitter@TO_tuffy
Featured image: Twitter@TO_tuffy
Insert images: Fuku Guide
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