Digital Signage - Chic Electronic Bulletin Board for Foreign Tourists to Japan

Wow, a brand new Electronic Bulletin Board installed to navigate foreign tourists...!

Welcome to another episode on what's happening in/on/to Japan. I'm your navigator, Nathan Shiga. That's right. Tourists from abroad who happened to be in Shinjuku or Ueno today must have seen one of those bulletin board beckoning you.

You know, the Japanese are so extremely courteous - so much so that they fabricate electronic things ( which they are good at building..) to speak for them, talk for them and do things in their place just to help out foreigners get around. That's, of course, one way of covering up their weakness in speaking English..well, half serious and half joking.

Whatever the motivation, this certainly is a chic way of helping foreigners touring Tokyo numbering almost 10 million a year. In fact, the government anticipates the number to jump up to 15 million in the year 2020, the year of the Olympics/Paralympics. This electronic bulletin, named "Digital Signage" by the way, is one of many ideas to get ready for the crucial year.

Two each of those were installed today in Shinjuku and Ueno for the media and will function with effect from March 25. It lets out information in Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean on where and how to go, where to stay and etc. The panel is positioned low enough for people in the wheelchair. In fact, the bulletin provides information on barrier-free passages to help them get around.

One unit costs 9.5 million yen; the metropolitan government plans to install by 2020 a total of 100 in downtown areas and in the vicinity of competition venues where more foreign visitors are expected to flock.

Tourist Division Chief Teppei Yonezawa of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government hopes to see more foreign visitors make full use of "Digital Signage" and enjoy sightseeing in Tokyo.