Fukuoka City will launch a new service this April that lets visitors to Maizuru Park view 3-D graphic reconstructions of Fukuoka Castle by pointing tablet computers at the ruins. This kind of service, which is rare in Japan, is expected to give visitors a unique experience. The Fukuoka Castle ruins are a national historic site, and the Shimonohashi Gate and turrets are designated prefectural cultural assets.
The City has plans to refurbish the gates and turrets, but it has postponed reconstruction of the castle keep since records are unclear as to whether one ever existed. Looking for a way to attract more tourists, it hit upon the idea of the virtual system. The system uses commercially available tablet computers loaded with special software and GPS. Based on a user’s location, it displays images of what the castle buildings are thought to have looked like in the early Edo era. Despite the running debate, the system also includes a 3-D rendering of the castle keep, which was made based on expert advice. It also contains images of the surrounding town and Korokan. Forty tablets will be available and will likely be lent to volunteer guides in charge of tour groups. The project cost the City ￥36 million. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun, Feb. 13
