News Edokawa-ku's ward office goes into Metaverse

Photo credit: Edogawa Ward Office​

The ward government began testing the system on 20 September, taking counselling requests and accepting applications from people with disabilities and other users. The Metaverse ward office is designed to look like the brick-and-mortar ward office building. Participants in the test run choose an avatar. This character represents them and moves around in the virtual office building to visit the general information lobby or a consultation room. Services of the same type available at the physical ward office are available in the metaverse space. The ward government will sort out the rules of use and other practicalities as it gradually expands the range of services. The officials said the system is set to be completed to coincide with a planned relocation of the ward office building five years down the road.

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A point of entry to the metaverse ward office will be created on the ward government's website. Visitors will not need to authenticate their identity to access the online office. They will also be allowed to use a nickname and rely on voice chat or text chat to converse with the avatars of ward government workers.

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