One of the busiest commercial locations in Tokyo is to be equipped with an NFC-based information and advertising service.

SHIBUYA: Project starts on street lamp poles, and will expand to shops and other venues

Internet advertising and social gaming company CyberAgent, in partnership with Shibuya Television and technology provider Toppan Printing, is to launch the NFC-based service in Tokyo's Shibuya shopping district.

For the Shibuya Clickable Project, NFC tags will be embedded in stickers placed on an initial 300 street light poles. These will invite people to tap their NFC phones to access information as they walk around the district. Toppan's Cylsee NFC content management platform, which drives the system, is time and location aware so users can also be offered targeted deals for nearby cafes and events.

Future developments will include allowing shoppers to access emergency and civil disaster information by tapping the tags, as well as the chance to take part in treasure hunt games in the Shibuya area. The tag network will eventually be extended inside stores and an information service for international tourists is also being planned.

The Shibuya Clickable Project will be launched initially in the Koen-dori district. It will then be expanded later in June to the Dogenzaka, Miyamasuzaka and other areas surrounding Shibuya railway station, and the scheme will be promoted on eight large outdoor TV screens in the district.