May 16, 2024

Local Governments in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area are Increasingly Using the Metaverse to Engage with the Outside World

When it is closed, the museum will be utilized for facility tours and street reenactments to promote local attractions. This will allow more people to be exposed to the content without having to visit and may help generate more interest in the content. Some municipalities have started to offer this service as an administrative accommodation for the elderly and disabled individuals who have difficulty visiting government offices.

Yokohama's Naka Ward has recreated the interior of the Yokohama Port Opening Memorial Hall, a National Important Cultural Property, using virtual reality (VR) technology. This recreation can now be freely viewed on the Internet. The historic building was completed in 1917 but closed from December 2021 to March 2024 for significant conservation and renovation work.

The Nagamatsu Appraisal Office in Yokohama City, which assesses damage to shrines, temples, and other buildings, collaborated to create a 360-degree VR image of the museum. The guided tour feature allows visitors to experience the museum as if they were there and includes video commentary by volunteer guides. The Naka Ward in Yokohama hopes this initiative will encourage the use of VR in other locations, as they have received positive feedback from citizens who have experienced the VR tour.

There are also examples of how they are being used to disseminate information on prefectural government, tourism, etc. For instance, Saitama Prefecture launched "Virtual Saitama" on November 14. Visitors can use their personal computer or smartphone to "enter" and gather information while controlling their avatars (alter egos), which are designed based on leeks and other specialty products of the prefecture.

Photo from Yokohama Port Opening Memorial Hall website

Chiba Prefecture has launched four unique "Virtual Cycling" routes that allow participants to bike in a virtual environment. The routes include one starting from Ohara Fishing Port in Isumi City to Tsurigasaki Beach, the location of the Tokyo Olympics surfing competition, and another starting near the Inbanuma area to Mt. Narita approach. These routes are available on the "ROUVY" app and range from 10 to 15 kilometers in distance each.

In the virtual space of the Internet, users control their avatars, which serve as their alter egos. At the "Metaverse Ward Office," visitors can interact with employee-operated avatars through voice conversations and chat, mimicking a real ward office. After verifying the results of the demonstration experiment and preparing a management manual, the aim is to expand the scope of utilization.