It makes for a jabber-filled downtown stroll -- getting deluged by chatter over earphones from some 1,200 tiny computer chips embedded in lampposts, subway-station ceilings and road cement, beaming maps, tidbits of history and store guides.

The 1 billion yen government-backed Tokyo Ubiquitous Technology Project spans several blocks of the Ginza district, and similar experimental efforts are under way in several other spots nationwide.

University of Tokyo professor Ken Sakamura said the effort gives a glimpse into the future, when chips on objects and places will become widespread so government offices and private businesses will use them to zip information to passersby.

"This project is to build an infrastructure for the 21st century," Sakamura said on a demonstration tour Monday.

Reporters strolled the Ginza shopping district, dangling from their necks special portable devices with a screen and earphones but no keyboard.

Every time the reporters passed by a computer chip at, say, a store or a showroom, an electronic voice began narrating an explanation.

Stand in front of the Mitsukoshi department store, and a voice runs down how the statue of a lion in front of the building has long been its trademark.

Cross the street to Nissan Motor Co.'s showroom, and the hand-held automatically switches from receiving information from the chip at the store to a chip at the showroom, and begins showing a video of a woman talking.

"Welcome to Nissan Ginza gallery," she says.

Pushing buttons on the device makes an electronic map, a photo about a landmark's history, or guide to a nearby clinic pop up on the screen.

American cities have expressed interest in the technology, Sakamura said, refusing to name the U.S. cities.

Japan is serious about such projects as a rapidly aging society will likely need help to guide the elderly, the blind and the disabled through city streets, Sakamura said.

Japan also sees potential in the service -- now available in Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean -- to help foreign tourists get around, he said.

Sakamura acknowledged the chips could be used for "Big Brother" monitoring, but denied his research had such intentions.