Navigating Without Addresses: what3words Now Available on NAVITIME
● what3words location technology is changing the way we approach addressing. It has divided the globe into a grid of 3m x 3m squares and given each square a unique combination of three words: a 3 word address.
● NAVITIME is the first Japanese consumer navigation app to provide what3words. The IOS update was released on 1st February and the Android update will be available soon.
Tokyo, Japan - Wednesday 1st February 2023 - NAVITIME JAPAN (Tokyo, Japan) has announced today that what3words have been made available on their flagship navigation app, NAVITIME. It is the first Japanese consumer navigation app to adapt what3words. The IOS update was released on 1st February and the Android update will be available soon.
NAVITIME's multimodal navigation/route search service has a database of over nine million Points-of-Interest (POI) across Japan which are updated daily. However, searching for a specific location that does not have an exact address - such as a spot on a beach, a specific entrance to a station, or a bench in a park - can require a long explanation with directions from other landmarks to that specific location.
what3words solves this problem by providing a simple way to communicate any precise location. It has divided the world into a grid of 3 metre squares and assigned each square with a unique combination of three random words: a what3words address. This means that every building or station entrance, pop-up venue and meet-up spot in a park has its own unique address, allowing users to easily find, share and navigate to anywhere in the world. For example, ///tigers.grinning.wharfs will take you to a specific bench overlooking the Crane Fountain in Hibiya Park, Tokyo - the perfect spot for a picnic.
Users of NAVITIME can now share and reach locations that do not have addresses, by just typing a simple three word address. The three words provided by what3words are available in multiple languages including the Japanese hiragana, making it very easy to use.
Chris Sheldrick, co-founder and CEO of what3words, said: "what3words adds a layer of precision that is necessary for the way we live today and for the technology of tomorrow. We see huge potential for growth in Japan, and are excited to be working with NAVITIME to help millions of users across the country navigate with ease."
what3words is already being used throughout Japan, with restaurants and hotels listing their 3 word addresses to help guests to find them. Anyone can discover 3 word addresses using the free what3words app or online map at what3words.com.
NAVITIME app is available on iOS and Android devices.
About NAVITIME JAPAN
NAVITIME JAPAN was founded on March 1, 2000 and is headquartered in Minato Ward of Tokyo, Japan. The current CEO and President is Keisuke Onishi, PhD. The company is the leading provider of navigation technology and services, offering solutions such as navigation services and apps for both individual and corporate customers. (https://corporate.navitime.co.jp/en/)
NAVITIME, their flagship app, provides door-to-door route search that combines various means of transportation (multimodal), including walking, train, bus, bicycle, plane, car, and taxi. You can also search for spots around your current location, make reservations for paid limited express trains and planes, and search for shared cycle ports. GPS navigation is available for walking routes.
NAVITIME APP iOS URL: https://apps.apple.com/jp/app/id365876050
About what3words
Co-founded in London in 2013 by Chris Sheldrick, what3words is a simple way to talk about precise locations. A what3words address is a human-friendly way to share very precise locations with other people, or to input them into platforms and machines such as ride-hailing apps or e-commerce checkouts. It is optimised for voice input and contains built-in error prevention to immediately identify and correct input mistakes.
The free what3words app, available for iOS and Android, and the online map enables people to find, share and navigate to what3words addresses in 54 languages to date. Millions of what3words addresses are in use around the world, with thousands of businesses using them to save money, be more efficient and provide a better customer experience. what3words is integrated into apps, platforms and websites. Products are available for free or for a nominal fee for qualifying NGOs.
what3words has a team of over 150 people, across offices in the UK, USA, Germany, India, South Korea and Mongolia. The company has raised over £100 million in capital from investors such as Intel, Ingka (Ikea), Mercedes-Benz, Aramex, Deutsche Bahn, Subaru and Sony Innovation Fund.