Feb.20,2013 Press Release (in English)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:Yokohama, Japan – February 20, 2013

2.23 International Open Data Day in YOKOHAMA

The “2.23 International Open Data Day in YOKOHAMA” will be held on Saturday 23 February, in global coordination with 90 cities from around the world actively promoting open data.

3 sessions are planned to be held simultaneously in Yokohama. Citizens gather to participate in sessions such as “Open Data Hackathon & Ideathon vol.2” to study cases of advanced current developments in sharing and usage of public data, then look into ways and develop apps making use of information for problem-solving. At the “Walk-thru-tour of Yokohama with an App” session, participants will walk through the city of Yokohama with a Smartphone application that uses open data. The third is a workshop where citizens participate collaboratively in editing and publishing Yokohama’s local resources information on Wikipedia. All of which will send a message out to the world about Yokohama’s active participation and commitment in the movement of open data.

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Title of Event: 2.23 International Open Data Day in YOKOHAMA
Date&Time: Saturday, February 23, 2013 (10:00 to 20:30)
Venue:
Yokohama Marine Tower, SakuraWORKS , Yokohama City Central Library(Conference Room), etc.
Admission: Free ( Party: 1,500yen / 2,000yen *adv/day )
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Sponsored by:
Yokohama Open Data Solutions Development Committee http://yokohamaopendata.jp/

Co-Sponsored by:
Open Knowledge Foundation Japan http://okfn.jp/
Linked Open Data Initiative (NPO) http://linkedopendata.jp/

In Cooperation with:
Yokohama City Guide Association (NPO)
Yokohama City Central Library
LIST Co.,Ltd
Community Design Lab Yokohama (NPO)

Supported by:
City of YokohamaOpen Data Promotion Consortium http://www.opendata.gr.jp/
Executive Committee of LOD Challenge Japan

About the “International Open Data Day”

International Open Data Day is a global event to promote commitments and activities for open data in countries and cities around the world. The event is held on February 23 around the world simultaneously, and would be held for the third time, coming this 23rd. There are about 90 participating cities in the world, holding events such as problem solving to meet specific challenges using open data. In addition to Yokohama, events in Japan will be held in cities of Tokyo, Chiba, Nagoya, Sabae, Aomori, and Aizu-Wakamatsu. There are also plans to connect events between cities and venues by live on the internet. http://opendataday.org/ http://odhd13.okfn.jp/

Details:

Session 1: “Walk-thru-tour of Yokohama with an App”
Participants will use smartphone apps such as “Yokohama Maps” which uses open data, and also “Field Museum AR history Yokohama”, an Augmented-Reality app developed at the “Open Data Hackathon LOD Challenge Day in Yokohama” held on 25-26 January. Starting at the initial gathering point at Yokohama Marine Tower, participants will walk around the town of Yokohama aided with Augment Reality view using “Field Museum AR history Yokohama” app. After the walk, a workshop will be held at the destination to discuss ideas to create apps to make walking around town more even more enjoyable.Venue: Starting at Yokohama Marine Tower, walk through urban areas in Yokohama, destination and workshop at Yokohama City Hall(Policy Bureau conference room).

Session 2: “Open Data Hackathon & Ideathon vol.2”
In succession to previous events “Idea-Meeting” and “Yokohama Open Data Hackason” held on January 13, and with the continued theme of “Culture and Tourism”,participants will apply newly released data on Yokohama, discuss and develop smartphone apps & web services at the hackathon-ideathon. Venue: Sakura WORKS .

Session 3: “Let’s make Yokohama a Wikipedia-Town! Walking Tour”
On this workshop, participants will upload information of local resources in Yokohama on to Wikipedia. Objective of the workshop is to get to know more about Wikipedia. Participants will conduct strategy meetings, research, interviews in town, and will actually post contents on Wikipedia. Venue: Yokohama City Central Library(meeting room), urban Yokohama, Sakura WORKS.

Open Data Party (Get-together party and Celebrating the establishment of Linked Open Data Initiative(NPO) )
Open data venues around Japan will get connected on live broadcasts via the Internet, and each venues will present their outcomes of the day, for conducting tours, Hackathons, workshops, etc. Board directors from Linked Open Data Initiative(NPO), Yokohama Open Data Solutions Development Committee, national and local government(City of Yokohama) officials related to open data will participate. Scheduled congratulatory fuest speech by Mr. Kenji Hiramoto, Assistant Officer to CIO of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Lightning talks to introduce participant activities are also planned. Venue: Sakura WORKS .

Background:

Last year in July, the Japanese Government established it’s “E-Government Open Data Strategy”, and has created an “E-Government Open Data Working-Level Meeting Group”. (where a senior manager from the Policy Bureau of Yokohama City participated as an expert) Also, mainly lead by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the “Open Data Promotion Consortium” was created for the purpose of building infrastructure for distribution of open data. Further more, The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has launched the “IT Fusion Forum Public Data Work Group”, in alignment with it’s “DATA METI concept” to enhance openness of public data.

As for the City of Yokohama, while actively participating in the “Open Data Promotion Consortium” on one hand, Yokohama is also trying to make a step forward to work and promote sharing of government-owned research and statistical data, with various NPOs and institutions, universities, in a perspective to resolve challenges in civic life by means of mutual cooperation.

Established in December, 2012, the Yokohama Open Data Solutions Development Committee is actively sponsoring events such as “idea-thons”, hackathons, “future sessions” focusing on use of public data, collaborating with Yokohama Arts Foundation, companies, NPOs, universities. The committee is also active in investigating and proposing open data related technologies and administrative schemes to the City of Yokohama and the Japanese government, and in promoting talks and exchanges between cities to promote open data.

Contact:
Yokohama Open Data Solutions Development Committee
attn: Yasushi Takase, Hiroki Sugiura
Phone: +81-45-664-9009 (in Yokohama Community Design Lab)
Address: Taisei Build. 2F SakuraWORKS, 3-61 Aioi-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama