Location View

Location View is an interactive website developed by Tokyo-based company LocationView Co. offering registered users a street-level view of selected cities in Japan. It features 360-degree horizontal and 180-degree vertical panning, zoom, and virtual mobility in which the user can control speed. Unlike other street view services, such as MapJack or Google Maps’ Streetview, Location View has a high frame rate and seamless transition between frames, enabling continuous, lifelike motion and surroundings which are animated rather than static. The site was developed by the Location View Co. and introduced on 14 May 2007 in Japan. When it was launched, several major cities in Japan, such as Tokyo, Yokohama, Kawasaki, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka and Himeji were included. It has since been expanded, and includes the suburbs of a number of other Japanese cities.

Mapping technique
To obtain the massive amount of footage required to achieve coverage of dense Japanese urban areas, Location View hires retired taxicab drivers to drive around cities with camera-equipped vehicles. Location View images are updated every one to two years. The fourth generation of Location View was introduced on 1 September 2008.

Coverage
As of September 2008, the following cities and areas are covered by the Location View web service.