Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Float
Noh Mask
Theatre
for Kabuki
performances
Ukiyoe
Machiya
Noh dancing
Fig. 1.
Concept of Virtual Kyoto integrating digitally archived contents of Kyoto arts and
culture
2 Virtual Kyoto
VGEs have emerged along with the rapid development of geotechnologies to enhance
'realism' of geographic representation [2]. A popular application of VGE is the so-
called 'virtual city' that is a digital representation of the geographical and geometrical
reality of a city. One of the most advanced virtual cities is being created in the Virtual
London project by CASA (Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis), University College
London. Virtual London is a large scale 3D GIS with CAD models of Greater London
using state of the art computer technology. It is designed for professional use by
architects and planners but is also targeted at the wider public through various
processes of public participation across the web [8,9].
By highlighting the city's function as an area for collective interactions of various
people, the concept of the digital city was also coined by researchers in informatics.
In Kyoto, the project of 'Digital City Kyoto' ran from 1999 to 2001 supporting and
facilitating social interactions for urban everyday life by developing a web-based
social infrastructure. Although the digital city does not necessary entail a VGE of a
city, Digital City Kyoto included an interface layer of VGE for the main street, Shijo
Street, and a world heritage site, Nijo Castle, in which users can virtually walk
through the environments [10,11].
Our Virtual Kyoto is similar and deeply related to conventional virtual city projects
such as Virtual London, and digital city projects with VGE interface such as Digital
City Kyoto. However, Virtual Kyoto has a unique feature that distinguishes it from its
counterparts. In particular, it is a 4D GIS of almost the entire city including a time
dimension added to the conventional three dimensional GIS/CAD models. It can store
