Yahoo! Car Navigation: A Navigation Innovation
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Simply install Yahoo! Car Navigation on your smartphone and you can now enjoy free, high-precision guidance comparable to traditional in-car navigation systems. Route search reflects real-time congestion information and traffic regulations, enabling comfortable and smart travel. Zenrin maps, which are compatible with Japan’s complex road network, and unique guidance logic help you navigate through confusing five-way intersections and forks without getting lost. Voice guidance is generated by AI, with a natural intonation that makes it easy to listen to, allowing for safe and intuitive operation.
The safe driving support feature provides real-time voice and icon notifications of speed camera and road sign information, and visualizes driving stability and habits with “Drive Score” and “Drive Record.” It also has a function to register your car based on its width, and routes that avoid narrow roads help drivers feel more secure. It also provides reminders for vehicle inspections and oil changes, as well as coupons, creating a service that is both convenient and cost-effective.
A paradigm shift in the driving experience with “Oshi Dora”
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Yahoo! Car Navigation has launched the “Oshidora” feature, a paid option available for 550 yen per month or 5,500 yen per year. With navigation voices by your favorite characters and voice actors and an original car icon, you can experience a driving experience that feels like having your partner by your side.
“Oshidora” has a lineup of six themes, including Izuku Midoriya and Katsuki Bakugo from the TV anime “My Hero Academia,” VTuber “AZKi,” characters from “The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls,” voice actress Ayana Taketatsu, the innovative low-frequency content “Low Frequency Burns,” and “Sergeant Keroro.” The player’s car icon is a 3D illustration of each character, and the smooth rotation shows the attention to detail in the presentation.
In situations that tend to be boring, such as traffic jams or straight roads, your favorite character will chat at natural times to change the mood. There are also lines related to anime sacred places and anniversaries, making for a fun time “conversing with your favorite character” while driving.
The “Audio Collection” feature allows you to later play back lines spoken by your favorite idol while using the navigation system or comments made at places associated with your idol. Being able to repeatedly listen to “famous lines” while driving is a must-have feature for fans of your favorite idol.
Attracting young people and contributing to safe driving
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The aim of “Oshidora” is clear: to create a casual car navigation experience that will appeal to younger users in their 20s and 30s, in addition to the traditional core of users in their 40s and 50s. In fact, about half of users are in their 20s and 30s, and it is said that this has also led to increased awareness of safe driving.
Many users have commented that “driving has become more fun,” “I can drive with a calm mind,” “I don’t get sleepy,” and “it leads to safer driving,” and the feature that functions as a safe driving support function is attracting attention.
The voice of VTuber “AZKi” has been particularly well-received by users. Hearing the voice of your favorite VTuber creates a sense of security and acts as a motivator even during tough situations like long distances or traffic jams.
The expanding world of Oshi and what’s to come
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About six months after the launch of “Oshidora,” a voice by Ayana Taketatsu was added, and a campaign was also held where players could win autographed colored paper. In the future, plans are also afoot to add a second voice by AZKi and VTuber Usada Pekora, with collaborations with artists and comedians also in the offing.
LINE Yahoo is also focusing on strengthening integration with other features such as voice control and designing the app to be easy to share on social media, in an effort to elevate Oshidora into an experience that blends seamlessly into users’ daily lives.
In the future, driving will become a way to support your idols.
Photo by NAGAYAMA
In addition to its high-performance free navigation functions, Yahoo! Car Navigation is building new value by supporting emotional and safe driving with its “Oshi Dora” app. The appeal is that everyday travel becomes “time with your favorite idol.” The voice of your favorite idol can support you on your drive, especially when you’re stuck in traffic or tired—Yahoo! Car Navigation’s “Oshi Dora” app is the perfect way to realize this driving experience.
