Learning Method that Facilitates User Understanding of Changes in the Kyoto Townscape: Utilizing a Smartphone Application with the Kyoto City Tram and Bus Photograph Database

Abstract. This study intends to develop a method of learning changes in the Kyoto townscape. We conducted an experiment using the Kyoto Memorygraph with old photographs from the Kyoto City Tram and Bus Photograph Database. The key findings of this paper are the following:

• Users can easily understand the details of changes in the townscape when comparing old photographs with the current townscape using Kyoto Memorygraph.
• By using this application in tours, users who were not previously familiar with the locations and characteristics of old photographs exhibited notable learning outcomes.

In this experiment, participants focused on mountains as a distant marker and buildings, roads, and objects on the roadside as proximate markers. These are the basic components of the city; participants examined the structure and elements from the old photos and became aware of changes in the townscape. In the case that the characteristics of the photo had changed significantly, some participants felt it was difficult to match old photos with the current townscape. By visiting the location where the old picture was taken and capturing the current cityscape, users of Kyoto Memorygraph were able to consider the city’s structure and elements. These results indicate that Kyoto Memorygraph can be a regional learning tool for understanding townscape development.