Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Virtual Kyoto Project:
Digital Diorama of the Past, Present, and Future
of the Historical City of Kyoto
Tomoki Nakaya
1
, Keiji Yano
1
, Yuzuru Isoda
2
, Tatsunori Kawasumi
1
,
Yutaka Takase
3
, Takashi Kirimura
3
, Akihiro Tsukamoto
3
,
Ayako Matsumoto
3
, Toshikazu Seto
4
, and Takafusa Iizuka
4
1
College of Letters, Ritsumeikan University,
56-1 Tojiin-kita-machi, Kita-ku, Kyoto, Japan
{nakaya,yano,kawasumi}@lt.ritsumei.ac.jp
2
College of Asia Pacific Studies, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University,
Beppu City, Oita, Japan
yuzuruisoda@gmail.com
3
Kinugasa Research Organisation, Ritsumeikan University,
56-1 Tojiin-kita-machi, Kita-ku, Kyoto, Japan
takaseyutaka@yahoo.co.jp, {tkiri,atv28073}@fc.ritsumei.ac.jp,
ayakom@fj9.so-net.ne.jp
4
Graduate School of Letters, Ritsumeikan University,
56-1 Tojiin-kita-machi, Kita-ku, Kyoto, Japan
{gr0008sf,gr0051xe}@ed.ritsumei.ac.jp
Abstract.
Using the recently developed 3D GIS (Geographic Information
System) and related visualisation technologies, we have created a digital diorama
of an entire historical city, which can be used to virtually travel through different
realistic landscapes at different times in the history. The digital diorama called
Virtual Kyoto is the virtual geographic environment of the past, present, and
future of the historical urban spaces in Kyoto City by constructing geotemporal-
referenced 3D models of cityscape elements at different eras. In order to promote
digital humanities studies on the arts and culture of traditional Kyoto, Virtual
Kyoto is used as a digital platform for constructing a web-based digital museum
interface with geographic data-linkages to numerous historical and cultural digital
contents. We also explore the possibility of using Virtual Kyoto as an information
environment to discuss the future of the historical city of Kyoto with the effects of
city planning activities such as landscape policies or the possible damage due to
disasters on historical landscapes.
Keywords:
3D GIS, virtual reality, digital humanities, landscape planning, 3D
urban model.
1 Introduction
The original diorama, invented by Louis Daguerre in 1822, exhibited large landscape
paintings inside a theatre-sized facility for experiencing virtual trips to various
