MICHAEL VALLANCE
Virtual Heritage
Explore and Learn
The Story
Late 19th Century Japan
It is 1878 and Japan has recently opened up after over 200 years of seclusion (known as sakoku 鎖国 ). In a designed Virtual Reality environment users can ask Isabella Bird, a female English explorer, about 19th century Japan: the scenery, the shrines, the accommodation and particularly the Ainu people of Hokkaido. In return she wants you to locate five items from her travels that she has misplaced in this town: a map, a suitcase, a notebook, a compass and a hat. Additional AI avatars can also interact and share their knowledge of late 19th Century Japan and the Meiji Restoration.
LEARN ABOUT JAPAN IN VIRTUAL REALITY
COMMUNICATE WITH AI AVATARS IN A 19th CENTURY JAPANESE TOWN
Japanese Environment: The VR Scene begins in a picturesque Japanese landscape, featuring iconic landmarks such as an ancient temple, a traditional town, wooden houses, shops and a garden.
Exploration and Interaction: Players enter the Scene where they meet Isabella Bird. An object with text information states the purpose of this activity: to learn about 19th century Japan after over 200 years of ‘sakoku’. Players can freely explore the immersive environment using the VR controllers and interact with historical time-dependent avatars in order to seek required information.
ISABELLA BIRD
ISABELLA BIRD was a female English explorer who travelled from Yokohama to Hokkaido in 1878. She documented her encounters with the indigenous Ainu in a remarkable book entitled Unbeaten Tracks in Japan.
TAKAYOSHI KIDO
TAKAYOSHI KIDO was an influential statesman tasked with modernizing Japan during the Meiji Restoration.
YUKICHI FUKUZAWA
YUKICHI FUKUZAWA is the founder of Keio University in Tokyo. His motivation was to modernize Japan by promoting western knowledge and education.
CONTACT
To learn more about this project and other VR research, please e-mail me at
