Bring Shibuya everywhere --
in Technicolor

In Japan, virtual worlds have hit the mobile phone.

Mobile tech company Media Groove has launched Chipuya Town (site in Japanese), a virtual world accessible on any Flash-friendly mobile phone. Thus far it is mainly frequented by Japanese girls.

Users build an avatar, then step into a cutesy version of Japan's Shibuya shopping district, earning Grooves — the virtual currency — by adding friends, going on treasure hunts and attending events.

Grooves can be used for virtual shopping. One hundred Grooves gets you a pair of shoes, while 300 fetches a couch for your virtual apartment. Vehicles and pets are on the way in '08.

The currency can also be redeemed for mobile downloads like music tracks.

Advertisers are paying up to $4,000 per month for ads on in-world billboards, according to Wired. And it doesn't end there.

For around $8,000 a month, advertisers can rent a virtual storefront where they may advertise inside and outside the store, host in-store promotions, and hire a truck to go around the virtual district handing flyers out to avatars, according to Wireless Watch Japan.