Some Japanese concerned about Google Street View
A few days have passed since Google launched its Street View service for several major Japanese cities, and complaints are beginning to appear. For many Japanese, the public availability of photographs showing their houses is cause for fear and worry, while others are concerned about the privacy people and car license plates that appear in Google’s images.
Chris Salzberg of Global Voices Online has posted a translation of of an letter to Google by Japanese IT professional/blogger Osamu Higuchi. In the letter, Higuchi requests that Google remove images of residential roads from its Street View service because
According to the morals of urban area residents in Japan, the assumption that “it is scenery [viewable] from public roads and therefore it must be public” is in fact incorrect. Quite the contrary, [these morals state that] “people walking along public roads must avert their glance from the living spaces right before their eyes”.
In our way of living, you do not unilaterally, and in a machine-readable form, lay open people’s living spaces to the whole world
Higuchi goes on to suggest that criminals will use Google Street View to plan crimes, and that having “one’s own living space exposed to the whole world without ever having been asked about it beforehand” amounts to an act of “evil.”
A post at the Road to the Deep East about the case of a stalker being arrested attempting to enter the house of 15 year-old actress Shida Mirai also touches the possibility that Google Street View could be used to plan crimes (Google is also compared to Amazon, which had been blamed for failing to protect the privacy of users by not making wish lists private by default on its Japanese site):
It’s still UNCERTAIN whether he used this service for real, but one thing for sure is the crazy person COULD see the outlook of her apartment via Street View just as others did after this incident.
Google Street View is a very convenient service, especially, for the person who has no sense of direction like me. But in a small country like Japan, it can be a starter of serious crimes like this.
At an invasion of privacy lawsuit in Pennsylvania, google explained that there is no complete privacy in modern society. But will google.com make excuse after tons of teenage idols are raped in Japan in this way?
Just like Amazon.com’s case few month ago, this incident seems to me another case caused by the cultural difference between Japanese tradition and foreign company’s officiousness. I mean, Leave us alone!!
Google has been rather quick in removing some images of people in embarrassing situations, but it is doubtful they will remove street views of residential neighborhoods.
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How stupid. “avert their glance?” again, how stupid.
Maybe the wording sounds weird to you, but it’s essentially saying, “it’s impolite to stare”.
The article contends that in crowded urban Japan, a household’s personal space extends right up to the fence so looking in is like someone walking up the front lawn of a typical American house and looking in the window. Being uncomfortable with that isn’t so “stupid”, is it?
Agreed – “averting glance” argument is just silly. I get stared at by Japanese people every day in the metro. Where is this alleged cultural respect for pesonal space in that case? Anyway – nice that he would take time to write a letter – but its just one persons opinion. He doesnt speak for all Japanese even if he thinks he does. There are actually a range of opinions on such matters – even in Japan.
It literally makes no sense. Just one guy making something up and claiming what he says somehow represents what all people in Japan think. Try telling this to the peeping toms!
it’s japan. The leaders speak and the rest must follow.
Japanese bloggers are the biggest whining xenophobes in the online community.
Why do you think this blog entry is xenophobic? He isn’t criticizing Street View because it’s from an American company or attacking it because it’s foreign. He’s saying basically what helical summarized: “In crowded urban Japan, a household’s personal space extends right up to the fence so looking in is like someone walking up the front lawn of a typical American house and looking in the window.” And because of that he feels uncomfortable with this aspect of Street View, and he also is worried that some people might use it for bad purposes.
He doesn’t want Google to remove Street View, but to take cultural differences into account. And it is only his opinion. On the original blog post, there were comments from people who shared his opinion, but there were also some comments that disagreed with it or the way he presented it.
The following is portion at least is xenophobic:
“…another case caused by the cultural difference between Japanese tradition and foreign company’s officiousness. I mean, Leave us alone!!”
Who is “us”? Speak for yourself, self-righteous blogger dude. Smells xenophobic to me.
I wasn’t referring to gaijinheart’s/santos’s entry in The Road to the Deep East, I was referring to Higuchi Osamu’s.
Not everything that gaijinheart writes is meant to be taken seriously, BTW.
OK – I stand corrected. Thnx.
i think this is a very cool invetnion because you can “visit” any place you want but the google ppl should respect the privacy not only that of the japanese but everybody
________________________________________________________________
Comment by helical
2008-08-09 10:32:27
Maybe the wording sounds weird to you, but it’s essentially saying, “it’s impolite to stare”.
The article contends that in crowded urban Japan, a household’s personal space extends right up to the fence so looking in is like someone walking up the front lawn of a typical American house and looking in the window. Being uncomfortable with that isn’t so “stupid”, is it?
________________________________________________________________
you are right these ppl aren’t being stupid or xenophobic they just aren’t confortable being watched by all the world
I think they have a point, but I do also agree that there is a very whiny, cry babyish tone to the Japanese online communities reaction to various things sometimes. Perhaps if they grew up in a poorer country they wouldn’t be so quick to whinge about the slightest thing as if it’s an outrage. Don’t mean to group everyone together or sound anti japanese but it’s just a common theme i’ve noticed.
You really don’t know what you’re talking about, do you?
“Perhaps if they grew up in a poorer country they wouldn’t be so quick to whinge about the slightest thing as if it’s an outrage.”
This makes no sense. Everything is relative. Seems like you have issues.
I’m sorry but your “you have issues” response tells me all I need to know about you, no points or argument to make, just a post you don’t agree with and a lack of basic debating skills to make a counterpoint, enjoy your ignorance, I hear it is bliss…
Ignorance?
I wasn’t the one who said this:
“Perhaps if they grew up in a poorer country they wouldn’t be so quick to whinge about the slightest thing as if it’s an outrage.”
It makes no sense, is off-topic, and seems to stem from your own opinions or issues with Japanese.
At the end of the day, Google is providing Street View as a service to its users/customers in Japan, and I don’t think it’s the right approach. It has taken Google forever to establish a presence in Japan, mostly because the product has not been localized effectively to suit the needs of the Japanese market. Conceptually, Street View is pretty neat, but it does not seem particularly Japanese, like Higuchi says, because it really does violate privacy. I was pretty surprised that license plate numbers are left intact, as well as addresses and the faces of people. Google has to become a lot more like Yahoo! Japan if it ever wants to challenge Yahoo… Instead of simply localizing it’s products, Google has to develop a native interface and a native brand that appeals to Japanese consumers. The lack of privacy proves Google didn’t put any thought into expanding its presence in Japan, which is the difference between an org that relies on technocrats and machines to evaluate search results, and Yahoo!, which relies on real people and still claims the dominance in Japan.
yes, I followed the link in the original story and looked at a few of the Street Views. At times, you literally could look right through the living room window into certain houses.
I was surprised that the cameras were even there in the first place, and wonder if the people living there even know about them.
A bit over the top – I think even in the West, this would raise a few eyebrows if it became well-known.
I remember seeing my house in Google Earth. And I thought that was pretty neat already. But yes, this is a lot more up close and personal.
I don’t see why this would help people plan a crime.
I mean, you could just drive to the house you’re planning your crime on and take pictures yourself. It doesn’t make the house any less secure.
Personally I always plan my breakins by using blurry photos that are several months or even years out of date. I also raced Le Mans in a 1986 Toyota Corolla. It’s amazing what obsoleteness can do if you are really lazy.
Hi, you’ve been on a long vacation. I’ve been waiting for you and a bit
worried. Next time, just leave a note that are going off.
Nice to see I was missed – something very important happened and I had to stop for a while. Then I was too busy with work and didn’t want to spend too long here. Still won’t, but can make the odd comment.
Oh I missed you. Probably many people did.
Your balanced comments –as well as funny ones–will be greatly appreciated,
Indeed – it’s great to see you’re leaving comments again, Overthinker! I was beginning to think you’d stopped reading Japan Probe after becoming disgusted with all the crap posts I’ve been making lately.
No, nothing like that. Family matters called me away from Japan very urgently, and I didn’t feel like posting or even reading when I got back for a while.
I’ve actually played around with the Japan Street View maps, but for some reason they seem to always show the blue road lines over to the side of the map road lines. Very annoying.
Did find one bit in Osaka where you take a ’step’ forward and it’s like night and day – literally.
Wow, its the overthinker! Long time no see Mr./Mrs.!
Dr, actually. Kinda surprised so many people remember….
Well, good to see you back. But what happened to “the”? XD
Good point. Is this better?
Now I better stop derailing the forum….
Hmm, yes, better.
On topic, doesn’t Google use “the opposite of face-recognition software” in these pictures?
Overthinker
a note that are going off.
→a note that you are going off.
It’s honor to have someone like you on this blog and in Japan, and it’s pleasure to have someone like you to discuss with.
I really like someone who disagrees with me because I enjoy a discussion itself, but I regret to say that most of the times, I agree with you.
It wouldn’t help people plan a crime, but it sure as heck could solidify and streamline the plan. I was actually joking about this with a friend when I first finished browsing streetview. It’s actually a legit concern.
I can fully understand these guys, i know i wouldnt like a camera filming the entrance to my house/graden/living room, 24/7 regardless of whatever it might help people with.
It’s not a live camera.
The van drives the street one time taking pictures as it moves along.
Seems like an awful lot of paranoia over this.
I’ve taken pictures on public streets hundreds of times and no one has ever complained.
I agree with _kovert. They are one-time shots, and not even current.
Out of curiosity, I took a look at the vacant lot where my parents’ house was. It was sold ten months ago to a small real estate developer. They were going to build a “micro-mansion” like the one already up on the adjacentlot. Google Street View shows a grassy vacant lot exactly as it was before the sale. No chain-link fence to keep people out or signage to assert the ownership.
Satellite photos are old too. The view of our city got to be at least 2 or 3 years old. There is no sign of a subway construction project which has kept a major thoroughfare looking like a war zone for the last 2 years.
On the other hand, it might be fun to play a “virtual tourist” in a city far, far away….
I think they are right here. Do not stare, do not stalk, do not peep – that are basic principles of civilised life. Google is a big Peeping Tom in this case.
I think they are right here. Do not stare, do not stalk, do not peep – that are basic principles of civilised life. Google is a big Peeping Tom in this case and certainly needs to be taught some ethic lessons.
Won’t somebody please think of the idols.
[these morals state that] “people walking along public roads must avert their glance from the living spaces right before their eyes”
but it is acceptable to rummage through garbage to find out if there is a piece of plastic in the 燃えるゴミ。
People in Britain have the same attitude that it is rude to stare into someone’s garden or house from the street, and I expect many other countries have the same feelings.
That said, you can’t stop people doing it. If people want privacy they have to keep themselves private. That’s why net curtains were invented.
Street View gives people the other side of the world the chance to be rude and nosey. Google’s cameras aren’t doing the staring. The same people who want to use Street View to look inside someone’s house probably enjoy celeb-pap magazines like OK and Heat.
Is Street View likely to cause real social problems such as increased rates of burglary?
If the news cast that just finished a short while ago is any indication “Just one person’s point of view” is shared by a lot of upset people.
There is also a big difference between staring at someone on the metro, and peeking in their window.
Some of the shots I have seen in various places talking about the issue should have been filtered out and re-shot before they made it to the site.
I am not Japanese, but I have been in Japan long enough to know that they can be very private people. Remember, we are talking about a country where it is considered less than polite to talk to a stranger about anything more personal than the weather.
Whether it is a big deal in our culture or not, it is a very big deal in theirs, and the media has taken the issue and run with it.
“If the news cast that just finished a short while ago is any indication”
No, they never are.
“Remember, we are talking about a country where it is considered less than polite to talk to a stranger about anything more personal than the weather.”
You mean England?
I just watched a news report where the people looked someone up on Google Street View, got their name, their address, and a 3D map to follow to their house.
Now imagine you are someone who actually has reason to stay low, like you are famouse and don’t want people knowing where you live. Imagine if you have dealt with stalkers before.
Now, someone who wants to find you types your name in, gets your name, your address, and a view of the street you are on.
I’ll leave it at that, and see if you can figure out how it could be used to plan a crime.
You could figure out all that info without Street View also. For example, my aunt lives in a 区 in Tokyo, and a member of Morning Musume lives just around the corner from her house. This was told to me without me asking, and I didn’t even have to log onto the internet.
And prior to SV the poor celeb stalker had to make do with merely the address. This must have really hampered things. I know I could never get anywhere before SV, merely by using those ridiculous things called “maps.”