仮想世界に秋葉原駅　「メタバース」２５日開設―ＪＲ東

　ＪＲ東日本は８日、東京・秋葉原駅を舞台にしたオンライン上の仮想世界「メタバース・ステーション」を２５日にオープンすると発表した。仮想空間で利用者同士が会話したり、散歩したりできる。
　実際の秋葉原駅と連動したイベントも開催予定で、記者会見した深沢祐二社長は「山手線の『３１番目の駅』として、リアルとバーチャルの空間を組み合わせていく」と語った。同社によると、駅を中心にリアルとバーチャルを融合させる取り組みは世界で初めて。（2022/03/08-18:47）

East Japan Railway Co. , or JR East, is set to open a virtual space reproducing the railway operator's Akihabara Station and adjacent areas in Tokyo on March 25.
   The online space, named "Virtual Akiba World," or VAW, will allow visitors to chat and walk around in the "metaverse station." The word metaverse refers to a 3D virtual reality world where users can interact. Akiba is short for Akihabara.
   JR East plans to hold events in collaboration with the real Akihabara Station, one of the 30 stations on the Yamanote Line, a busy loop line in the Japanese capital.
   "Using the metaverse station as the '31st station' on the Yamanote Line, we'll work to combine the real and virtual worlds," JR East President and CEO Yuji Fukasawa told a press conference Tuesday. It is the first in the world to fuse the real and virtual spaces with a train station at the center, according to the company.
   People can visit VAW for free via quick response, or QR, codes or other means. In line with the opening, the company will hold a virtual event featuring characters from popular Japanese TV and movie works and series, such as "Shin Godzilla."