Google to reshoot street views of Japanese cities

Good for Greece.

Too funny how Japanese would be so worried about an "overview peek" into their tiny yards when the ENTIRE neighbourhood second floor and above can always see what's going on and really that's who you really have to watch out for... YOUR NOSEY NEIGHBOURS!!!

When I was showing friends my old neighbourhood in Tokyo and we were on a street view tour of the area I actually spotted my bike parked in front of my building. Actually, it was really funny as it was my friends that said "HEY THERE'S YOUR BIKE!!!"

I guess those that worry have something to hide. Chances are they live with the curtains closed ALL THE TIME. Well, I do most of the time because I just don't want to end up on YouTUBE for my lack of wardrobe during the sticky weather season. :P

blur faces and license plates. So simple...end of problem. Very useful tool.

Privacy is guarded but everybody seems to know everybody else's business.

can they let me know when they do it around my street. i don't want them to post laundry hanging from my balcony.

There's really a picture of my laundry on my balcony now. I showed it to my friends and family.

Don't do it. THe current photo they have of my house features one of my dogs standing in the window. This is in fact a crime deterrent. Let's face it, who in their right mind would take on 120kg+ of canine aggression.

timorborder - The current photo they have of my apartment features the crows tearing apart the garbage bags and making a huge mess. Let's face it, who in their right mind would want to clean up that mess?

there is a case to be made if the views are "higher" than what one would normally be able to see from the street. the nosey neighbour view is also valid,　but i think that if the views are "passerby" viewpoints then most criticism becomes moot

I love this service. Why would license plates be so guarded? Walking down the street I can see them just sitting there in plain view. Goggle you know the address, you can cross reference this with online phone books, and wala... name of owner. and a car has more protection? why?

As for photos of houses, keep your yard and outside area clean. Do us all a favor.

I'm very tall, and can see over a lot of the fences in residential neighborhoods. Should there be some 'Prevention of tall people walking in residential neighborhoods' act?

This will probably be like Google Earth in general and will all blow over and not be used by so many people after the initial interest in it has worn off.

Street view in Tokyo!?! Awesome! I am in need of a new bike but can't afford it, now thanks to google street view, I can find my new bike for free from the comfort of my own home and without any witnesses. Then just wait until dark and go take the bike..... or car, or valuables, etc

Kidding aside, see my point? People are already using it in Cali for home invasions. Now instead of staking out a neighborhood and showing your face around town snooping around, you can simply surf the net and expand your search for other peoples property.

You guys are seriously OK with this? Maybe YOU are ok with being photo'd but many others (especially japanese) are private people, and privacy must be respected.

I understand their next plan is to come into your house or apartment and photograph all your rooms as a service to anyone who may buy or rent it in future.

Of course, if you're doing nothing wrong at home you have nothing to worry about.

I know when our street was done last year as our house is in the process of being built on it!

Personally I like the street view service and find it very useful.

There is nothing wrong with the service so long as it is true to its name and is a "street" view. But the problem comes when they are giving users access into your yard and home windows not otherwise visible from the street. Honestly, if there was a peeping tom outside the fence with a video camera on a pole, like a periscope looking into my property and taking photos, I'd have a serious problem with that. Google is basically doing the same thing here with its improperly high cameras.

Combinibento - I agree with you. Elsewhere I saw that they were to lower their camera from 2.43 meters down to 2.03 meters, which is still significantly higher than the average eye as well as fence. A really high fence here is only 1.8 meters, and I would guess that the average for eye height is less than 1.7 meters. Streetview should be just that – a view of the street and at the eye level of the average sitting driver.

Tjrandom in Japan that would mean 1.6 meters in Japan.

But i guess it is a very usefull tool for stalkers, thieves and nutjobes

Well until Japan develops a address system it's citizens can actually use, I vote for the street veiw to stay. I'll actually be using it to find a culture center that I CANNOT find an address for this morning. Why don't government websites have the addresses of all the government buildings in which they have events? They don't want people to show up? Even Japanese people who've lived here all thier lives need maps to get anywhere new. Most of them are poorly drawn and people are still like WTF.

I find it very useful. I dont much care abt the people or Cars. It helps me locate the address well & Explore new areas in the vincinity where I wish to go but too lazy to drive down or take my Chari...

Let google do it !!! It helped me find a few places in the city. Let the people complain. I would rather focus my attention on governments spying on it's citizens en worrying about a map making company.

streetview is a neccesity in Japan, where maps suck.

as a compromise, yes, lower the camera a bit and dont film on garbage days. also post on their website which nighborhoods they will be scoping. that wouldnt be too hard for them to do.

since everyone and their dog has a mistress (or mister haha) in japan, yes, keep blurring the license plates, as if that would prevent anyone from getting busted anyway.

There is no law stopping me from walking around on the street and taking photos. So what's the problem? Maybe some people don't like having their photo taken, but it still isn't illegal. Maybe this is simply a PR move by Google.