Case study · Japan · Tokyo · Bunkyo-ku
A ward office
that guides by voice.
In November 2022 Bunkyo Civic Center launched the first NaviLens pilot inside a Japanese Civic Center: numbered codes announcing entrance, distance and direction, a 360 Vision gyroscope feature and citizen crowdfunding to scale the deployment.
Bunkyo Civic Center
Tokyo · Bunkyo-ku · 28-storey ward office
15 Nov 2022
NaviLens pilot launch · Measurements Inc.
360 Vision
Smartphone gyroscope guidance for blind users
¥2,120,000
Municipal crowdfunding via Furusato Choice (100%)
The client
Bunkyo-ku
— with Measurements Inc.
The Bunkyo Civic Center is the seat of Tokyo's 文京区 (Bunkyo-ku) ward. Its 28-storey tower hosts the civil registry, citizen services, the Civic Hall events space, administrative offices and a 25th-floor observatory with views of Mount Fuji.
The deployment is operated by Measurements Inc. (株式会社メジャメンツ), a cloud-services company for people with disabilities. On 15 November 2022 they launched the first NaviLens pilot inside a Japanese public building.
Alongside the NaviLens GO app they tested the 360 Vision feature, which uses the phone's gyroscope to guide the user with turns and distances toward the next code.
§ Challenge
Letting a public building explain every step.
- 01
Reaching the building without asking for help
Bunkyo Civic Center is the ward's main hub: civil registry, administrative offices, the Civic Hall and the observatory. For a blind person, identifying the correct entrance from the subway exit and following the tactile paving up to the general information desk still depended on staff or a companion.
- 02
Finding your way inside a complex building
With 28 floors, multiple lifts and counters such as «戸籍住民課» (civil registry), reaching the right destination and approaching the lift from the correct side was especially hard for low-vision users without a voice-guidance system.
- 03
Validating a new technology in Japan
NaviLens was new to the country. Bunkyo-ku wanted to test it in real conditions, collect feedback from visually impaired users and fund the next phase with the citizens themselves through the furusato nōzei programme (tax donations to the municipality).
§ Solution
Numbered codes with distance and direction.
Each code (e.g. #219580, #219590) is linked to a micro-instruction: «Kasuga-dōri entrance», «4.74 m along the tactile paving to reception», «walk around the lift on the right side to reach the civil registry».
The 360 Vision feature adds gyroscope-based orientation: the app tells the user which way to turn their body and how much distance is left to the next checkpoint.
§ Timeline
From pilot to crowdfunding.
- 15 Nov 2022
Pilot launch at Bunkyo Civic Center
Measurements Inc. (株式会社メジャメンツ) and the Bunkyo ward office launch the first public NaviLens trial inside a Japanese public building. Codes are placed at outdoor entrances, the lobby, the lifts and the administrative counters.
- 360 Vision feature
Phone gyroscope guidance
Together with NaviLens GO, the «360 Vision» feature is tested: the smartphone uses the gyroscope to indicate which way the user should turn their body and the exact distance to the next code (e.g. «#219580 at 4.74 m»).
- 2023
Citizen crowdfunding via Furusato Choice
Bunkyo-ku opens a Government Crowdfunding (GCF) campaign on the Furusato Choice platform to extend the deployment. It reaches the ¥2,120,000 target (100%) with 7 donors and extends Phase 2 until 31 March 2023.
§ Walkthrough
From the street to the counter.
Context
Bunkyo Civic Center tower
The Bunkyo Civic Center building, next to the Marunouchi subway line viaduct, hosts the ward offices, event halls and a 25th-floor observatory. It is the main contact point between the local administration and the citizens of Bunkyo-ku.
Outdoor
Main entrance — code #219580 at 4.74 m
A person points the NaviLens GO app at the code placed on the main door frame. The screen announces: «文京シビックセンターかすがどおり口入口です。点字ブロック沿いに進むと総合案内があります» (Civic Center Kasuga-dōri entrance; follow the tactile paving to the general reception).
Indoor
Counters and lifts — code #219590
Inside the lobby, in front of the «戸籍住民課» (civil registry) and «区民サービスコーナー» (citizen services) signs, a NaviLens code guides the user: «エレベーターの裏側に戸籍住民課があります。右側から回り込むように進んでください» (walk around the lift on the right side to reach the civil registry).
§ Results
An accessible city hall, funded by its citizens.
Multilingual voice
Each code announces destination, distance and direction by voice
Public building
First Japanese Civic Center guided with NaviLens in real conditions
Replicable model
Case published in specialist press and local media
§ What they said
“障害者専用のクラウドサービスを展開するメジャメンツ（東京都中央区）は11月15日、障害者向け移動支援アプリケーション「ナビレンス」の実証実験を文京区で開始した。各所に張られている二次元コードをスマートフォンに読み込むことで、目的地の方向・距離などの案内が音声で読み上げられる。”
“視覚障害者のお手伝いをする移動支援アプリ「ナビレンス」の実証実験を文京シビックセンターにて開始 — 実証実験の充実のために『ふるさと納税』にて寄附募集も実施。”
“視覚障がい者の世界を広げる「NaviLens」をもっと広めたい！— 寄付金額 2,120,000円 · 達成率 100 % · 支援人数 7人. 東京都文京区がふるさと納税のガバメントクラウドファンディングで実証実験を拡大。”
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