Internet search giant Google has now updated its Google Street View to take netizens on a virtual tour of areas in Japan that were affected by a magnitude 9 earthquake and tsunami last March.
Google said that this was a fulfillment of the company’s initiative to archive the affected areas in Japan.
“Today, we’re making good on that promise — after driving more than 44,000 kilometers through the affected regions, 360-degree panoramic imagery of those areas is now available through the Street View feature in Google Maps,” said Kei Kawai, senior product manager of Google Street View, in a blog post.
The images were shot in July, where the Google Street View team drove along roads to capture a panoramic view of the areas. Users of the service can also compare the images of the regions before and after the disaster, noting the devastating results of the earthquake and tsunami.
Kawai said that the company hopes this digital archiving project will be helpful to scientists and researchers who study natural disasters and its effects. He added that the service is a useful tool for people who want to understand the extent of the damage.
The images can also be viewed on a special website called Mirai e no kioku, which means “Build the Memory,” where people can easily compare photos of the towns.
The Google Street View is currently helping researchers and scientists all over the world and since last year, the company has been helping researchers in Antarctica by providing imagery of the continent.
via: Official Google Blog
