In association with Japan's National Institute of Informatics, NEC and Tokyu Agency(ad agency), Tokyu Corporation, which operates major railway lines including Shibuya-Yokohama, started today the trial of an augmented reality service "Pin@clip[J]" (pronounced "Pina-Kuri", and named after pins and clips) using iPhone for commuters and shoppers in the Shibuya area, which allows you to tag information with every corner of the town by overlapping it on the real landscape images when you're there, and to share accumulated knowledge with the other people in the area.

You can post news and information about the spot where you visit with its geographical attribute which is measured by the iPhone's GPS feature. Shops participating in the service can provide their bargain news to the app when the users come nearby.

As a part of this trial aiming at promoting local business in the area, they also broadcast a special program for TV-enabled cellphone handset users at a Shibuya station-front meeting point (Hachiko-mae). The same service is now planned to be provided at popular sight-seeing cities which a number of foreign tourists visit, like Dogo-hot spring in Matsuyama and Fukuoka's area full of street-stall diners.

Author Information  Masaru IKEDA has co-founded several system integration companies and consulting firms in Tokyo. He has been contributing serial columns to nationwide newspapers and IT periodicals, also he's currently serving as tech consultant for several web companies. His biography is here. His private blog is here.

Tags: Cellular Phone, Community, Company, Japan, New Service // 2 Comments »