The City of the 21st Century | Jun Murai (Dean, Faculty of Environment and Information Studies)

2009.11.19

Sci-fi movies I watched long ago and manga like *Astro Boy*. Looking back now, the cityscapes were filled with imagination for a scientific future. What era were they imagining back then? If you look closely, some of the years depicted as the "dream years of the 21st century" have already passed. To be able to experience a city where that "21st century" has been realized is a privilege of those who have lived through the turn of the century.

First, there were the videophones, or video calls as we call them now, that appeared everywhere in manga and movies. They are now fully realized. In sci-fi, they were used in various scenes and must have truly been a dream, but since then, commercialization attempts failed many times. In the end, they became commonplace with the internet, webcams, and mobile phones. The technology, infrastructure, and services are all in place. The dream has come true. (Or has it?)

Speaking of cities, think of the large screens and displays in cities, often used by dictators to address citizens. This too has been fully realized. It's like a fusion of broadcasting and signage today, and you could say the technology is completely established. Times Square in New York, the east exit of Shinjuku, and the Roppongi crossing are all a storm of signage. By connecting them to the internet, both the dictators of the past and the "friends" of today could completely control the citizens. Very SFC-like. This dream, too, has come true. (Or has it?)

Come to think of it, 3D television also appeared frequently in the old days. Now, the content is ready. The recording of television footage began in color from the time of the previous Crown Prince's wedding, and recording in stereoscopic high-definition began from the time of the current Crown Prince's wedding. And now we are in an era where anime is created with computer graphics. This means that most video content can become stereoscopic content. There have been many attempts to popularize 3D video, but this time, with content available for live-action, anime, and real-time applications, it might be the real deal. After all, video equipment exhibitions around the world have become all about 3D. By the way, SFC and Keio groups, along with Keio graduates, are playing a major role in this research and development. The dream has come true. (Or has it?)

The story of the manga *Super Jetter*, where the character speaks into a wristwatch screen saying, "Ryusei-go, respond," is finally lost on most students. It's a bit awkward to explain, but the Ryusei-go that responds here is a vehicle that drives itself to where it's needed. In this scene, the small screen that can be worn on the wrist, the wireless communication, and the car that drives itself safely (an evolved form?)—all of these have been perfected. At SFC (in our research), that is.

It's not sci-fi novels, manga, or movies that make dreams a reality. Nor is it advanced technology alone, of course. It cannot be done unless we create advanced technology and build a society for people. It cannot be done without people to drive it.

Yes, we do it all at SFC.

(Oh, the flying car. It's not ready at all. Can it be done?)

(Date of publication: 2009/11/19)