Ureshino City metaverse opens to provide tourist information

A metaverse space based on the streetscape of Ureshino City in Saga Prefecture has been opened in a bid to boost local tourism and to provide visitors with sightseeing information. 

Ureshino is known for its hot spring resorts, or onsen.

Digital Mall Ureshino, a metaverse where visitors can experience the local resources of Ureshino City, was launched on September 22, one day ahead of the opening of the West Kyushu Shinkansen bullet train that stops at Ureshino Onsen Station.

The new line runs between Takeo Onsen (Takeo City, Saga Prefecture) and Nagasaki Station (Nagasaki City).

The digital mall was a result of collaboration among Dai Nippon Printing (DNP), Ureshino City, Nippon Koei, and KCS. 

It features key landmarks including Ureshino Onsen Station and Ureshino Tourism Exchange Center, which have been digital rendered in high definition. Visitors can collect information on sightseeing, purchase local specialties at exhibiting stores, and visit sightseeing spots in live-action images taken by a 360-degree camera. 

The metaverse space does not require any special equipment, and can connect more than 200 users at the same time and 30 people in the same place. It also has a chat function for users to interact.

In the metaverse, DNP is developing digital promotions in the forms of video advertisements, online customer service, and tourist information. The company aims to promote Ureshino City by providing travel experiences. It also plans to distribute information on live business meetings and sales events from the real world of Ureshino City.