Hi everyone, what’s going on? Haven’t you fed up with self-restraint, self-restraint imposed by the government? Why not clear the accumulated stresses away with VR (Virtual Reality)!
A nationwide state of emergency has been declared on April 8, 2020 due to the country’s worsening coronavirus outbreak and it will remain in force until 6 May.
Lifting the declaration of emergency on that day, however, is not clear, it depends on the situation of how much reduced the virus in Japan.
Anyway, we are in the midst of self-imposed control that even though it is Golden Week holidays, there is a request to refrain from going out for outdoor-excercises, and for the time being it will be “stay home golden(?) week”, no,no, we should say “patient consective holidays” which “we have to be cooped up indoors for the being” anyway.
So here comes “VR”, let’s refresh sweating your body which has gone soft and accumulated stresses.
Contents
What’s VR, then？
Virtual reality (VR) is a simulated experience that can be similar to or completely different from the real world.
Applications of virtual reality can include entertainment (i.e. video games) and educational purposes (i.e. medical or military training). Other, distinct types of VR style technology include augmented reality and mixed reality.
Currently standard virtual reality systems use either virtual reality headsets or multi-projected environments to generate realistic images, sounds and other sensations that simulate a user’s physical presence in a virtual environment.
A person using virtual reality equipment is able to look around the artificial world, move around in it, and interact with virtual features or items.
The effect is commonly created by VR headsets consisting of a head-mounted display (HMD) with a small screen in front of the eyes, but can also be created through specially designed rooms with multiple large screens.
Virtual reality typically incorporates auditory and video feedback, but may also allow other types of sensory and force feedback through haptic technology.
So how can we enjoy VR?
There are two main types: experience-based at VR facilities and at home.
Both have the same fun, but the experience-based method is extremely thrilling. I don’t need to explain this anymore, you know “Seeing is believing,”.
Let’s enjoy skiing whose language is Japanese though but you roughly understand.
I experienced it about two years ago and when it was finished, I was soaked in cold sweat.
However, the problem is that the location of this VR experience facility change due to various circumstances, and at present of course, all facilities temporarily closed on account of the virus.
“VR ZONE SHUNJUKU) in Shinjuku Kabukicho, where I had an exhilarating time two years ago, ended last year , and it moved to Ikebukuro Sunshine, and it opened on July 12, 2019. 「MAZARIA」
This is a picture of a car racing being continued while destroying obstacles that appear one after another with a hammer like this.
Currently all facilities are closed because of the corona virus, but after the end of this corona, it will be necessary to check into the facility where it is doing.
And for the time being, it’s best to wear goggles and enjoy yourself in the room.
And there are about 3 types of VR,
No.1 It is a method linked with a personal computer, you can’t beat when it comes to the biggest fun, but it is a little expensive in terms of price.
No.2 This is the most recommended, thanks to unnecessary of the cords/cables connected the head-mounted display, so there is no need to bother being entangled around the body while using, setting-up and operation are relatively easy.
And above all, in terms of price, whether you buy the main unit or rent it, it is very affordable, and if you have a Wi-Fi environment, you can enjoy it.
No.3 This is the best in terms of price. The goggles themselves are very reasonable, starting from around 1,000 yen (abt $9.00), and if you have smartphone and Wi-Fi environment, you can do it immediately.
So this time, we recommend No.2
I was enjoying VR with the No.3 affordable goggle about 3,500 yen for two years, but I didn’t have enough satisfaction, so I rented Oculus Quest and I perfectly enjoyed it for a week becoming obsessed with it now.
First, let’s go on a world trip！
Wander the world openly through the magic of VR.
Note: You select app・game “Wander” (￥990 abt$9.00) from the store of the menue bar.
From the comfort of your living room you can teleport almost anywhere in the world – whether you wish to walk across the London Bridge, stroll the gardens of the Taj Mahal, or witness the enormity of the Great Pyramids of Egypt – unlimited exploration awaits!
Note:The images of the landscapes are not automatically displayed, you must enter the desired place name and search by yourself.
Here are some example landscapes that are not familiar with our Japanese, let’s see.
Sossusvlei in the Namib Desert in the Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia
Niagara Falls、Grand Canyon、Uyuni salt lake in Bolivia、Victoria Falls in the southeastern part of the African continent、Bora Bora with beautiful blue sky and ocean in paradise Tahiti as below
Antelope Canyon in Arizona, USA
Then, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park with a spectacular view of landscape painting in China
While staying at home, you can satisfactorily enjoying with relaxation while you see the screens of front of you, up-ceiling, down-feet, right-side, left-side, and back, 360 degrees you turn your head, you can see yourself as if you were there, a unique world-sceneries that are not seen in Japan, and you will be overwhelmingly impressed by them.
Now let’s enjoy the game while sweating！
There are many kinds of games, but first let’s look at sports as a video.
When I was young, I used to play table tennis and tennis quite a bit, so I had a little confidence, but I was now 73, you know an old saying that “we can not win the age which is coming to us”.
And now that I was so enthusiastic with the games which a rally that is exchanged between opposing side that I bumped my foot into the leg of the desk, “Ouch!”.
Much worse, my legs tangled resutling I fell to the back side “Ouch again!”, and as a result, despite my desparate effort, both games were lost.
Then, gun fights that gave me much more excited exchanges of bullets against scoundrels in the American western movies in the background.
After all, nevertheless I was sweating a lot, probably because I was getting old or because my reflexes were getting dull, I received a lot of bullets.
It was such a fun time that I really forgot my time.
In addition to these, there are a variety of horror, roller coasters, etc., and there are paid and free games.
Free of charge one is for a practice to get used to the game, and you will these really quite interesting.
The following video is the latest game introduction of 2020 version, but there are various similar games, so you can enjoy your favorite game.
The narrator is in English, but I hope you can understand it.
From the irritation of the corona pandemic, can VR be used to eliminate increasing damages of DV(Domestic Violence)?
Many people are feeling stressed by their unusual lifestyles caused by the requests of their refraining from going out and financial anxiety.
Under these circumstances, we are seeing a lot of DV, divorce cases in mass media, especially newspaper, TV, weekly magazines and the internet.
Posts expressing frustration toward spouses amid increased teleworking and longer hours spent together have been circulating on social media like below,
Young couple in quarrel at home.sadness young woman sitting on sofa with boyfriends.relationship problems between couples and communication issues concept
Therefore, I published an article from a weekly magazine, “From the interviews with former perpetrators of DV, changes in life and stress caused by the new coronavirus are factors that increase DV risk.”
When my husband was working at home and our child made noise, he yelled, “I’m working,” and raised his hand to the child. (a housewife in her 30s)
The masks aren’t sold anywhere, and when I go home without buying them, I get yelled at and preached for a long time.（a woman in her 40s）
This is an example of a consultation received this month from a support group for DV victims in Tokyo.
According to this group, the number of DV consultations has increased since the last month when self-restraint and working from home spread. It means that there are as many as 30 daily.
Regarding the recent trend, a representative of a support group said, “When they talk about what to do with living expenses, we are seeing more and more consultations about perpetrators doing physical violence. Some people said they were very scared of being killed.
Former DV perpetrator talks about current DV risk
Former perpetrator male Mr.A
“The longer you stay in contact with each other, the more likely it is that you will experience friction. I think stress is gradually accumulating in unusual situations.”
Former perpetrator male Mr.B
“If you were a DV perpetrator, you would definitely have told your partner about the stress of being at home, not going out, or not getting a job.
Former perpetrator male Mr.C
“Because of the lack of interaction with people, I tend to be more active than usual. I think DV would have been worse for me.”
How should we deal with DV risk?
★ leave the place once
First, when you are irritated, you leave. It is effective to move to another room or take a walk.
★ Count the minutes and keep calm
When you can’t get away, you can calm down by counting the number of minutes in a toilet.
★ Share your work schedule
If you work from home, it’s a good idea to share your daily work schedule with your family. If you tell them in advance not to talk to you, you can avoid unnecessary collisions.
★Avoid the worst in constructive discussions
When you talk about your living expenses with your family, you feel that you have been blamed for your income loss and you tend to violate them.
At that time, all members of your family are absorbed in games so as not to progress to violence or divorce stories, forget the depression and constructively cultivate energy for the next step after the spread of the virus.
From these, it is fully conceivable that fun and relaxation in VR will bring unexpected positive results. Hence let’s have a try!
where can I rent it？
There are several rentals in Tokyo, and I recommend Astones for beginners.
Why, it’s still a setting, and if you’re not used to how to use it, I think it still takes time. The rental period is almost a week, so it’s so fast.
The reason is if you are not familiar with how to set-up and use it, it will take time. Support service is available in Astones. The rental period is usually one week, so if you are taking too much time, the time you can enjoy is rather short.
Astones Support, for further information Click here or、tel：050-5372-4922（9:00～17:00 except Saturday and Sunday and for those who live in Japan）
I’d like to recommend you to watch videos about VR, how to set-up, how to play games and so on to get information of tutorials so that you can enjoy more.
Lastly,
Enjoy the wonderful world scenery that heals your heart, and then let’s have plenty of sweat with your spouse and/or parent and child!
Let’s weather the storm and every cloud has a silver lining, thanks !
