Google Street View – SoraNews24 —Japan News— https://soranews24.com Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today. Sun, 12 May 2024 04:30:10 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.4 https://soranews24.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/05/en_rocket_1024.png?w=32 Google Street View – SoraNews24 —Japan News— https://soranews24.com 32 32 176746664 Japanese netizens scurry to leave comments on possible Tokyo Banksy rat graffiti https://soranews24.com/2019/01/22/japanese-netizens-scurry-to-leave-comments-on-possible-tokyo-banksy-rat-graffiti/ https://soranews24.com/2019/01/22/japanese-netizens-scurry-to-leave-comments-on-possible-tokyo-banksy-rat-graffiti/#comments Tue, 22 Jan 2019 02:00:05 +0000 http://soranews24.com/?p=439231 
Japan took to the Internet to share memes, get cheesed off over politics and chew over the big question: how old is this rat sketch, anyway?
Minato Ward in the city of Tokyo has collectively smelled a rat. But not just any rat – this rat is a piece of graffiti street art that was found on a flood gate near Hinode Station, and bears a suspicious resemblance to a known work by British graffiti sensation Banksy.
▼ This photograph appears on Banksy’s official website
てことはバンクシーの本物か。https://t.co/WHlikfED4x
— mold‐zx (@lautream) January 17, 2019
▼ A comparison of the website artwork with the art found in Tokyo
マウスオーバーすると3種類のネズミの画像が表示される。#バンクシーかもしれない pic.twitter.com/DzTgfLVyue
— mold‐zx (@lautream) January 17, 2019
The city of Tokyo has opened an investigation into whether or not the piece is a genuine Banksy work, with attention from newspapers and politicians fanning the flames of the fire. The most notable example of this is former Minister of Defence, Yuriko Koike, who now serves as the governor of Tokyo: she took a picture in front of the floodgate and tweeted it.
▼ “There is a cute rat picture in our city that could be one of Banksy’s works! Could it be a gift to Tokyo? It looks as though it’s holding a bag.”
あのバンクシーの作品かもしれないカワイイねずみの絵が都内にありました！ 東京への贈り物かも？ カバンを持っているようです。 pic.twitter.com/aPBVAq3GG3
— 小池百合子 (@ecoyuri) January 17, 2019
A different kind of floodgate opened immediately afterwards, because this is the Internet, and no one passes up an image with this kind of meme potential.
▼ “I found a Banksy in town, too! Please verify its authenticity.”
私も都内でバンクシーを見つけました！
本物かどうか確認お願いします。#バンクシー#風刺画 pic.twitter.com/S1b8hMPTMI— Masa (@masamasadd) January 17, 2019
▼ “Could this be a Banksy?”
https://twitter.com/AzkingGt/status/1087263357134991360
▼ “Ms. Yuriko Koike! I found another cute, possible Banksy piece. You’d better preserve this one, too.”
小池百合子さん @ecoyuri 、私もバンクシーの作品かもしれないカワイイ絵をみつけました！これも大切に保存した方がいいかもしれません。 pic.twitter.com/RogL561Mxd
— アストロ温泉鈴木 (@ASTROONSEN) January 18, 2019
Attitudes towards Koike’s photo opportunity are mixed, as several see it as implicitly condoning graffiti (as long as the artist is prestigious enough). To be fair, anti-graffiti ordinances do exist in Tokyo…
ここで一度振り返ってみましょう。 pic.twitter.com/8dXuJq7mbz
— 脳無休 のむきゅー (@nomQ) January 17, 2019
And the fact it wasn’t taken care of earlier could even be seen as further evidence that the city of Tokyo isn’t in a hurry to wash away graffiti. The floodgate (and more importantly, the rat picture) has since been removed and put into storage so that it can be preserved, but you can easily see it on Google’s Street View in 2018…
And by checking previous photographs of this portion in Street View, you can see it as far back as 2013.
But actually, the rat might be even older than that… Banksy connoisseurs tracked down the picture in a published anthology of his works, Wall and Peace, where the work is labelled “Tokyo 2003”.
https://twitter.com/hoyhohohoyhoy/status/1085878562547093504
Which would mean this jolly rat and its cute little umbrella would have been puttering around Hinode Station for a decade and a half, only degraded by the elements. As the city of Tokyo has hastened to remove other graffiti (and other, erm, “art”) over the years, the fact they missed this curious but striking drawing is especially strange.
Comments under the initial tweet from Koike were largely concerned with the idea that more copycat Banksy art might crop up throughout the city, imploring Koike to explain why this particular graffiti deserved preservation, and even more memes, but comments on the art – and its possible artist- were sprinkled throughout.
“That’s what the rats in Tsukiji market look like.”
“It really is a cute picture.”
“I’m Banksy.”
“Y’know, the real joy of street art has burned out. By putting the artwork in storage in some warehouse somewhere, it doesn’t matter if it’s a real Banksy or a fake anymore because no one can see it. The important thing with street art is that it can be appreciated by the masses.”
Only time will tell if this rat is a verified masterpiece or just vermin waiting to be flushed away, but with all the excitement stirred up over graffiti in the process you might want to find another outlet for any anti-social art urges. How about taking a trip to Kyoto to scrawl a wish on a temple wall?
Source: Twitter/@ecoyuri
Top image: Google Maps
Insert images: Google Maps (1, 2)
Related: Banksy
]]> https://soranews24.com/2019/01/22/japanese-netizens-scurry-to-leave-comments-on-possible-tokyo-banksy-rat-graffiti/feed/ 0 439231 screenshot_1 Pink-shirted multiplying man found in Akihabara on Google Street View https://soranews24.com/2017/11/26/pink-shirted-multiplying-man-found-in-akihabara-on-google-street-view/ https://soranews24.com/2017/11/26/pink-shirted-multiplying-man-found-in-akihabara-on-google-street-view/#comments Sun, 26 Nov 2017 13:00:25 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=396296 
In the Matrix of Google Maps, our Neo has been found.
We always get a kick out of quirky things found on Google’s Street View from candid moments to photo bombs to strange glitches, but now we may have stumbled upon a master of the art accomplishing all three in a single moment.
The incident can be found in Tokyo at an intersection just up from Akihabara Station on the main street running through the otaku paradise. If you want more precise global coordinates, it is at latitude 35.698193 and longitude 139.771284.
At first glance it looks like the Google camera is confronted by five middle-aged balding men in pink shirts. However, upon closer inspection you’ll quickly find that they are all the same guy mugging to the camera in unison.
Scrolling around you can also see that he is completely surrounding the camera, blasting it to pieces with his finger guns.
The man’s identity is unknown, and I’d bet dollars to donuts he isn’t Japanese. I’m drawing this conclusion from his pink shirt and the fact that Japanese people by and large currently have an aversion to flashy colors, instead preferring anything in the spectrum of navy blue to brown. If you don’t believe me then just take a look at every other person in that street view.
Nevertheless, it is impressive that this guy had the knowledge of how the Google cameras worked to pull this off, especially back in 2014 when this was taken. I always assumed that Google took all 360 degrees simultaneously or at least at a faster rate than it would take for some guy to finger-gun all around them.
More likely, this time-space bending collage was done in editing on Google’s end as one of their little easter eggs. That would explain why they didn’t mosaic out his face, not that he seemed too concerned about his privacy anyway.
Whatever the case may be, in the ever escalating game of Street View photo bombing, multiplying pink shirt man is certainly a front-runner and a shinning example for us all to look up to.
Source: Google Street View
Top image: SoraNews24
]]> https://soranews24.com/2017/11/26/pink-shirted-multiplying-man-found-in-akihabara-on-google-street-view/feed/ 0 396296 Google Street View sighting in Yamaguchi Prefecture amuses Japanese Twitter users https://soranews24.com/2017/07/02/google-street-view-sighting-in-yamaguchi-prefecture-amuses-japanese-twitter-users/ https://soranews24.com/2017/07/02/google-street-view-sighting-in-yamaguchi-prefecture-amuses-japanese-twitter-users/#comments Sun, 02 Jul 2017 05:00:36 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=382055 
What has two legs, antlers, and looks like it belongs in a rock band?
Navigation technology has come a long way. With Google Street View, you can even take a virtual tour of several Japanese hot springs, or the busiest station in Japan, Tokyo Station.
One Japanese Twitter user was apparently exploring the Abugawa Dam in Yamaguchi Prefecture using Google Street View, starting from route 67 and veering off into a smaller road, when he stumbled across a sight that boggled his mind.
▼ What in the world is that?!
(Scroll down for enlarged versions.)
https://twitter.com/rb30gtr/status/879129858923614208
▼ Just gonna take a turn down this road, no big deal….
▼ Oh, what’s that off to the side of the road down there?
Maybe an animal or something?
▼ Wait… it’s a person….
▼ Oh. Oh I see.
The last picture in the tweet reveals a man in a deer mask holding onto what looks like an electric guitar, which immediately sparked questions. Just how long had he been standing there? Was he real? Where was the rest of his rock band? Was it some sort of fetish we’re better off not knowing?
Comments from Japanese Twitter users were filled with amusement, with most trying to find the deer-man themselves, much like pirates hunting for treasure:
“This was found using Google Maps right? Can you teach me how to find him?”
“I found him!”
“It’s highly possible this is someone I know.”
“Found him. Thanks for the laughs!”
Naturally, the comments slowly gravitated towards identifying him in an all-out deer-man hunt:
“His guitar is from the Ibanez XP series.”
“This is his deer mask!”
“Here’s the shirt he’s wearing. No doubt about it.”
▼ Here’s our culprit’s tools.
https://twitter.com/psyan1028/status/879625929017892864
It didn’t take long for the person in question to appear in the comments:
“You guys found me! I’m Orion, the deer-guitarist!”
When asked what actually happened, Orion revealed that he intentionally wanted the Google Street View Car to take pictures of him three years ago. As to why he had a deer mask and an electric guitar with him at that point in time, however, is up to everyone’s imagination.
For our curious readers out there, you can find the path leading to Orion here, where he will continue to pluck on his unplugged electric guitar strings until the end of time. Or at least until he’s pushed out by a fellow Google-Street-View-bombing sumo wrestler.
Source: Twitter/@rb30gtr via My Game News Flash
Top image: Twitter/@rb30gtr (edited by SoraNews24)
Insert images: Twitter/@rb30gtr
]]> https://soranews24.com/2017/07/02/google-street-view-sighting-in-yamaguchi-prefecture-amuses-japanese-twitter-users/feed/ 0 382055 deer man top Navigate your way through Japan’s busiest train stations with Google Street View https://soranews24.com/2017/04/14/navigate-your-way-through-japans-busiest-train-stations-with-google-street-view/ https://soranews24.com/2017/04/14/navigate-your-way-through-japans-busiest-train-stations-with-google-street-view/#comments Thu, 13 Apr 2017 17:30:32 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=372507 
Come with us as we take you through some of the interesting things you can discover inside one of the country’s most historic stations and the busiest train station in the world.
Whether it’s smiling sumo wrestlers or pigeon people, you never know what might be revealed in Japan when Google Street View comes to town. In recent years, the visual map recorders have gone one step further in providing virtual tours of the country with special in-depth explorations of popular events like the Nebuta Matsuri Festival in Aomori Prefecture and even the eerie “Underground Temple” in Saitama.
Now the Google Street View team are back in the nation’s capital with a brand new virtual tour that takes in the maze of corridors, platforms, walkways and turnstiles that make up Tokyo and Shinjuku stations. If you’ve ever been to Japan, you’ll know how easy it is to get lost in these mammoth complexes, so now you can relive the experience online, or if you’re coming to Japan soon for a visit, you can use the new service to prepare your route ahead of your arrival!
Before walking through the turnstiles below to begin your adventure of Tokyo Station, be sure to scroll up first to admire the famous domed ceiling.
There are a couple of historic sites people should keep an eye out for while making their way through the station. If you turn towards the left in the image above, you’ll see a special plaque next to the ticket machines that marks the spot where Prime Minister Takashi Hara was stabbed to death by a right-wing activist in 1921.
Another plaque can be found close to the Shinkansen gates numbered 20-23. This marks the spot of an assassination attempt on Prime Minister Osachi Hamaguchi, who was shot inside the station in 1930. While Hamaguchi initially seemed to recover from the attack following emergency surgery, his condition deteriorated and he died a year later.
On the ground to the right of the plaque is a floor tile marked with the shape of a diamond, which is the exact spot where the Prime Minister fell.
While these markers pointing to significant events in the station’s 103-year history are often overlooked, Google Street View makes them easy to find. It also makes it easy to navigate your way to other important spots at the station, including the Shinkansen transfer points.
It also helps to direct you to Tokyo Station’s famous Ekiben-ya Matsuri, a store known for its huge variety of boxed meals, perfect for enjoying on a train journey. Usually a hive of activity, filled with hungry travellers, the store was shuttered up when the Street View team visited.
While Tokyo Station is one of the country’s most historic, Shinjuku Station is the country’s busiest. With an average of 3.64 million passengers passing through the station each day, and over 200 exits, the station is so busy that it’s been recognised as the busiest train station in the world.
Welcome to the labyrinth that is Shinjuku Station. Let’s begin our journey into the maze at the JR South Exit, which can be found opposite the Newoman restaurant and shopping complex.
Navigating a Google Street View device through the crowds during peak hour would be a difficult task, so many of the new images online show a deserted station, which is a novel sight in itself. According to this clock, some of the data was captured in the wee hours of the morning, at 1:28 a.m.
A number of station platforms are also deserted, with trains like this one put to bed for the night.
Even the Oedo line that runs through Shinjuku’s subway looks unusual without the hustle and bustle of thousands of commuters.
▼ Here we are on the platform for the Yamanote loop line.
▼ The signboards show the time of departure for the first trains of the day on the Yamanote and Chuo lines.
In the middle of the night, teams of repairmen and cleaning crews can be seen hard at work maintaining the public areas of the station.
The Street View team have done a thorough exploration of the station, with even the underground tunnels visible online.
▼ Whether you’re heading to the airport on the Narita Express…
Or making your way to the Odakyu Limited Express Romancecar for a trip to Hakone, Enoshima or Kamakura, the Street View option is a great way to get your bearings online before arriving at the station.
Judging by this reflection we discovered, the data-capturing equipment used for the mammoth task was mounted on a robot-like device called the Street View Trolley. The trolley has been used to capture images in museums around the world, due to its compact size, which allows it to manoeuvre through tight spaces and be positioned directly in front of artwork and signs.
Whether you’ve been to Japan before or are heading over for a visit, these new images on Google Street View are a great way to explore all the details of the country’s most famous stations away from the crowds. Just be careful not to get lost in there – it truly is a fascinating labyrinth that we could happily wander around in for hours!
Source: Net Lab
Featured image: Google Maps
]]> https://soranews24.com/2017/04/14/navigate-your-way-through-japans-busiest-train-stations-with-google-street-view/feed/ 0 372507 Japanese Station Google Street View catches Russian bear in the middle of snacking on a salmon https://soranews24.com/2016/12/26/google-street-view-catches-russian-bear-in-the-middle-of-snacking-on-a-salmon/ https://soranews24.com/2016/12/26/google-street-view-catches-russian-bear-in-the-middle-of-snacking-on-a-salmon/#comments Mon, 26 Dec 2016 14:00:05 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=359834 
Even bears can’t get any privacy these days.
It’s no surprise that Google Street View is full of surprises from around the world – from Sumo greetings to flocks of pigeon people. But now it seems that the service has gotten into nature-documenting as well, with this shot of a bear dining on some fish.
The 360-degree panoramic view can be found in Kurile Lake (also known as Kurilkoye Lake) located on the southern tip of the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia. It is a crater lake; the result of a massive eruption tens of thousands of years ago, but more currently it is known for its huge population of sockeye salmon, which can be easily seen by tilting the image downward.
And as nature dictates, where there are salmon, there often are bears trying to catch them. Not only the one big boy standing front and center, but several other bears can be seen running around on the shore trying to catch dinner.
This 360-degree shot was also not your typical Google Street View team shot. It was actually taken by AirPano, a Russian non-profit photographic association who take aerial 360-degree pictures and video of some of the most famous places from around the world. Their Victoria Falls videos are especially breathtaking.
There’s plenty of eye candy to be had over at AirPano but be sure to keep your eyes peeled on Google Maps too, because you never know what other treats wait in store, like bathing monkeys and security guard dogs taking a pee on the job.
Source: AirPano, Google Street View (English) via Hamusoku (Japanese)
Top Image: Google Street View
Insert images: Google Street View
]]> https://soranews24.com/2016/12/26/google-street-view-catches-russian-bear-in-the-middle-of-snacking-on-a-salmon/feed/ 0 359834 Scope out which love hotel to take your next date to right now in Google Street View https://soranews24.com/2014/11/27/scope-out-which-love-hotel-to-take-your-next-date-to-right-now-in-google-street-view/ https://soranews24.com/2014/11/27/scope-out-which-love-hotel-to-take-your-next-date-to-right-now-in-google-street-view/#comments Wed, 26 Nov 2014 20:30:25 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=199506 
Love hotels in Japan provide a service that is very unique in the world. They play a convenient role for those passionate one-night stands, which is exactly the sort of business you’d expect at a place called a “love hotel”. But they are also a place where married couples can go who are being pressured from their parents to give them some grandchildren. That’s kind of hard to do with mom and dad in the room next door. One quick glance in any city shows that these love hotels are a dime a dozen, which is probably why there are so many random and fun hotels with different styles of rooms and designs.
And now, with the convenience of the Internet, choosing a love hotel is easier than ever. Why should we settle with those “flattering” pictures they provide when we can take a tour of it ourselves with the help of Google Street View!
This isn’t the first time we’ve toured a business with Google, but a love hotel can range from “OMG amazing” to “OMG gross” so it seems pretty convenient to be able to check one out before “business time”.
Today’s love hotel or “designer hotel” is located in Shinjuku, home to the busiest train station in the world. Named Designer’s HOTEL&SPA PASHA RESORT, with its curly font and Las Vegas lighting, it certainly looks like anything could be happening inside. If only we could check!
▼Bling Bling! But is it as flashy on the inside…?
If only we could walk into the front lobby, all our questions would be answered.
Oh wait, yes we can! Don’t worry if you get lost, here is one of the rooms all primed for you to explore.
▼The first picture of the room. Looks stylish!
▼We are moving!
▼Beam me outta here!
▼Snazzy. Slippers when in the room of course.
▼A view down the hallway. There is more that can be explored. We’ll leave it to you!
So the next time you are picking out a “banging” hotel, make sure you use all the tools at your disposal, check to see if you can wander around inside with Google Street View. Just be glad…or disappointed that the pictures aren’t taken in real time.
Source: Reddit
Images: Google Street View
]]> https://soranews24.com/2014/11/27/scope-out-which-love-hotel-to-take-your-next-date-to-right-now-in-google-street-view/feed/ 0 199506 love view 2 love view 2 love view 8 love view 1 love view 2 love view 4 love view 5 love view 6 Make sure to visit this historical onsen once before you die, or just do it right now with Google https://soranews24.com/2014/11/24/make-sure-to-visit-this-historical-onsen-once-before-you-die-or-just-do-it-right-now-with-google/ https://soranews24.com/2014/11/24/make-sure-to-visit-this-historical-onsen-once-before-you-die-or-just-do-it-right-now-with-google/#comments Mon, 24 Nov 2014 01:00:03 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=198772 
Nestled in the mountains of Nagano sits the Ryokan Kanaguya. It’s an inn with over two and a half centuries of history and seems to walk that fine line between quaint and extravagant. It’s also a part of the ever-growing list of bathhouses said to be the inspiration for the Ghibli classic Spirited Away.
Simply by tweeting some promotional photos of Kanaguya from its website, one user managed to net over 24,000 retweets. Needless to say, it’s an attractive holiday destination. But before you go booking a room, why not take a brief virtual tour of Kanaguya via Google Street View which appears to be well on its way to mapping the entire world inside and out.
“Shibu Onsen Kanaguya is said to be the origin for the setting of Spirited Away. I want to visit once before I die.”
千と千尋の神隠しの舞台になったと言われている”渋温泉金具屋”死ぬまでに一度は行きたい。 pic.twitter.com/8EvQkW2Chh
— れいちゃま (@reichama24) November 21, 2014
Generally, I’d point out that you can feel free to explore Kanaguya in your pajamas but in this case you’re probably overdressed for your Google tour.
The tour is sadly limited to a couple of rooms and the stairwell, but it’s enough to give you a sense of the building’s atmosphere. Despite the historical feel of the wood and bamboo all around the brightly colored walls give the place a vibrance that’s surreal.
Viewers online were also enamored by this ryokan’s charm as seen in their comments.
“It looks straight out of an anime.”
“It’s amazingly beautiful.”
“It’s got a great style like something in a movie.”
Kanaguya boasts nine baths some of which are private, and rates start at 20,520 yen (US$174) per night per person. That might be a little steep but not to worry. Shibu Onsen, where Kanaguya is located has a wide variety of baths to choose from, such as this one up the street.
While chances are Kanaguya is not the model for the bathhouse in Spirited Away, it’s still oozing with personality and has a sort of supernatural and classical charm that shouldn’t be missed. So get up and book a room now!
Or, you can also just walk around it in circles on Google for a weekend…whatever floats your boat.
Information
Historical Ryokan Kanaguya
Hirao 2202 Yamanouchi, Shimotakai, Nagano
Website: English / Japanese
Source: Twitter via Hamusoku (Japanese)
]]> https://soranews24.com/2014/11/24/make-sure-to-visit-this-historical-onsen-once-before-you-die-or-just-do-it-right-now-with-google/feed/ 1 198772 Want to be in I Am Legend? Website uses Google Street View to show cities after the fall of man https://soranews24.com/2014/03/24/want-to-be-in-i-am-legend-website-uses-google-street-view-to-show-cities-after-the-fall-of-man/ https://soranews24.com/2014/03/24/want-to-be-in-i-am-legend-website-uses-google-street-view-to-show-cities-after-the-fall-of-man/#comments Mon, 24 Mar 2014 06:30:00 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=134571 
Have you ever watched a sci-fi movie or played a video game and wondered what your home and neighborhood would look like if the human race were wiped out? If so you might want to seek counseling, or you can visit this website to seek closure on your thoughts of inevitable doom.
It’s called Urban Jungle Street View and it makes use of Google Maps interactive Street View system but decorates everything to look as if it hadn’t been touched by human hands for decades.
This website designed by Einar Öberg as an experiment with the depth data used in Google Street View. Using these values he plotted green grass and trees on the road as well as ivy creeping up building sides and hanging from utility wires. Nature really does appear to be reclaiming the land that we humans have wrested from it throughout our existence.
Öberg recommends using this overlaying effect in a heavily urbanized area like New York City for the best results. Tall buildings often result in the best effects whereas doing it out in the countryside will basically put grass on top of grass.
▼ Behold! Mt. Fuji’s summit after “the collapse” shall have a tree and some grass.
We took it for a spin around the Shinjuku and Shibuya areas of Tokyo. Sure enough it looked very reminiscent of the PS3’s Tokyo Jungle and The Last of Us, where players assume the role of survivors wandering around cities after the near total annihilation of humankind.
Good to see that even the billboard of SMAP’s Takuya Kimura stands eternal. One day alien researchers may stumble upon it and think we worshiped him as a god. He was pretty good in Hero, so I guess it could be worse. In some scenes the crowds of people broke the illusion but overall it’s a fun little piece of coding that you can enjoy while virtually prowling the streets of the world.
Source: Urban Jungle Street View, Einar Öberg
Original Article by Mr. Sato
▼ Just enter the name of the location you want and if Street View is available then you can see it all post-apocalyptic style.
▼ You can also move the little adventurer pegman to any location just as in regular Google Maps.
]]> https://soranews24.com/2014/03/24/want-to-be-in-i-am-legend-website-uses-google-street-view-to-show-cities-after-the-fall-of-man/feed/ 0 134571 Travel across Japan in under an hour without leaving the comfort of your home! https://soranews24.com/2013/07/18/travel-across-japan-in-under-an-hour-without-even-leaving-the-comfort-of-your-home/ https://soranews24.com/2013/07/18/travel-across-japan-in-under-an-hour-without-even-leaving-the-comfort-of-your-home/#comments Thu, 18 Jul 2013 14:30:37 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=70772 I’m sure taking a trip across Japan is a thought that has crossed the minds of many, whether they’ve already visited the country or not. However, unless you’re enjoying a gap year or have an extremely understanding boss, taking enough time off to see it all in one go isn’t easy. Experiencing the change in climates as you travel between the different regions of the country or admiring the scenery particular to a specific area carries an undeniable charm. If only there were a way to experience Japan in its full glory without being restricted by the factor of time.
Well, we might have just the solution for all you busy people out there. It comes in the form of a special Google Street View movie which boasts footage of the whole journey across the country, from the northernmost tip of mainland Japan right down to the south.
The movie was produced by a group named “takram” which made use of an altered Google Street View tool named Hyperlapse. By employing the tool, it was possible to compile a movie that shows the journey across the whole of Japan.
The finished product is divided into several versions so you can get to the area that you’re most interested in quickly:
1.) Hokkaido (the northernmost of Japan’s main islands)
2.) Tohoku and Kita Kanto (Northeast Japan and northern part of the east)
3.) Kanto and Tokai (Eastern Japan and south of Tokyo region)
4.) Kansai and Chugoku (Southwestern Japan)
5.) Kyushu (the southernmost island)
In total there are five different videos to choose from, and since this is Google Street View you also get to go through areas with shops and streets where everyday people are going about their lives. You really get a feel of what it’s like to live in Japan and it’s not just a view from an elevated highway the whole way.
By the way, when you combine the play time from each Google Street View video, it totals in at 54 minutes and 46 seconds. Looking at it like this, it becomes a rather attractive alternative to the real thing. Not only does it not require any planning but it’s also completely free. If you’re just that little bit interested in what it’s like to travel across Japan in under an hour, why not check out the included videos below. It really is quite the ride!
Hokkaido:
Tohoku and Kita Kanto:
Kanto and Tokai:
Kansai and Chugoku:
Kyushu:
]]> https://soranews24.com/2013/07/18/travel-across-japan-in-under-an-hour-without-even-leaving-the-comfort-of-your-home/feed/ 0 70772 Google to Photograph Street Views of Evacuated Town in Fukushima https://soranews24.com/2013/03/06/google-to-photograph-street-views-of-evacuated-town-in-fukushima/ https://soranews24.com/2013/03/06/google-to-photograph-street-views-of-evacuated-town-in-fukushima/#comments Wed, 06 Mar 2013 12:00:46 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=42350 
It wasn’t just the earthquake or tsunami of March 11, 2011 that shattered the town of Namie in Fukushima Prefecture, it was the subsequent radiation. Slowly creeping across the once fertile land, it ripped families from their homes and banished them to evacuation centers elsewhere. Today, nearly two years after the worse nuclear disaster since Chernobyl, the entire 86 square miles of Namie have been declared uninhabitable due to high levels of radioactive cesium. Even if families wanted to return, they can’t.
Amid this tragic loss, Google Street View is giving the people of Namie a chance to visit the town they were forced to flee.
The Street View project was requested by Tamotsu Baba, the mayor of Namie town. Mr. Baba explains in the video below, “By photographing the town and making those photographs publicly available, we can show the townspeople the condition of the streets. In addition, I want to show the world the true state of Namie.”
Photographing will take several weeks and Google hopes to make the images available to the public in the coming months. It seems that Namie, formerly described as “the forgotten town” in popular Japanese magazine, Bungei ShunjuI, will no longer be forgotten thanks to the efforts of Google and Mayor Baba.
Source: IT Media
Image: Wikipedia
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