Week 6: Maps, mashups and more

The Google maps site is great. I spent the last two years living in Japan so I have included a map from an area in Kyoto where I lived for about a year. I also lived in Osaka and Tokyo for about six months each but Kyoto is my favourite city in Japan. My two favourite features of the Google maps site are the street view and featured content tabs. The featured content tabs are very useful, my favourite of the tabs are those that allow users to add their own media to the maps such as; photos from Picasa and videos from YouTube. These features really bring the map to life and in conjunction with the street view function they provide a real perspective of the places on a map. These functions give you additional insight into virtually any place or city around the world that traditionally you wouldn't have been able to get without going there in person. The only downside that I can see to the featured content tabs is that there can be so many photos, videos and other links that it can be hard to differentiate between multiple links that relate to the same geographical areas on the map.

Using Google street view I was able to view many of my favourite parts of Japan in really astounding levels of detail. It was fantastic to be able to revisit places that I'm sure that I will probably never see again in person. One of the downsides to street view was the lack of coverage in some areas that I would have liked to see. However it was also a little worrying just how much detail was included say for example, of my own house. While I am glad to be able to revisit many of my favourite places in Japan, Google street view further blurs the line between public and private spheres, I don't feel that street view invades my privacy but it is a little creepy. However overall street view is an excellent service, if the only price that I have to pay is being included in the maps.

Anyway here is a map of my favourite place in downtown Kyoto. This is my favourite place in Japan due to the combination of traditional Japanese architecture and culture combined with modern restaurants, bars, shops and clubs.


View Kyoto, Japan. in a larger map