Memories for the Future Project

Google service lets viewers tour disaster areas

Previously we mentioned Google Japan’s efforts to promote Japan’s cultural offerings and encourage foreigners to continue visiting Japan in response to the Tohoku disaster. Since May this year, the Japan Street View team have been actively working on another humanitarian program with their Mirai e no Kioku (Memories for the Future) Project.

The online site is the result of Google Street View vehicles traveling over 44,000 kilometers of the worst hit areas of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. With Mirai e no Kioku Street View, users are able to view first hand the devastating effects of the disaster.

Google Japan have included an option for disaster area residents to upload videos and photographs of their life and hometowns before the events. By request, they’ve also included the option to view the areas before and after Street Views.

The creators hope that the project will serve as an archive for memories of survivors’ lives before the disaster which they can preserve for future generations (safely at Google’s data centers), while at the same time presenting a clear message of the actual severity of damages and losses faced by the tsunami victims.

You can visit the Memories of the Future English siteto view the project’s Street View. Clicking on the Japanese link will take you to the photo and video archive segments.