Hasta La Gadget!

Signs of summer have started to creep up on us in Japan and with last years temperatures breaking record highs, the sweaty season isn’t always so welcome. In a bid to combat the heat this year, residents in Tokyo are being encouraged to plant their own Green Curtain with local councils starting to give out free kits and seeds.

Since the nuclear incident in March many households are worried about the electricity blackouts that may be imposed over summer. Therefore, as we have blogged before, many groups and companies are stepping up efforts to conserve energy to avoid cuts in electricity in the months ahead. One area of Tokyo decided to give out full green curtain kits to 1000 residents, consisting of 2 goya seeds (a japanese bitter gourd), a 90cmx 180cm net and a guidebook. Other local governments have teamed up with NPO’s to give workshops educating the public on how simple it is to grow their own green curtain and also how effective the plants are at tackling increasing temperatures. The movement seems to be catching on and many schools and public buildings have taken on the project.

Any visitor to Tokyo will note how little greenery there is in the city and despite an initiative developed in 2005 called the Tokyo Green Building Program there is a huge amount of wasted space atop buildings. The urban heat island effect contributes greatly to Tokyo’s oppressive heat and humidity each summer, according to a study by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government when the temperature of concrete rose to 55ºc the temperature on green areas was as low as 30ºc. More buildings adopting a green curtain or green roof similar to the Fukuoka Across Building, pictured below, would also have a great impact on the scenery around town, turning Tokyo into a greener concrete jungle, as well as providing relaxing areas for busy office workers to relax in between meetings.

With Germany recently announcing it is to cease operation of all nuclear power plants by 2022, not only Japan but the world is starting to look for alternative ways to save energy and explore renewable sources. Handled correctly Japan stands to be able to take a leading role now in how it deals with its energy demands, and the role sustainable business and technology can drive the economy.

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With summer just around the corner, people are wondering how to save electricity following the 3.11 earthquake and tsunami that knocked out some of Japan’s power supply. Big corporations and brands have already announced some measures, such as shutting down offices for long summer vacations, plus we are starting to see eco products designed with this kind of thinking in mind. But it is also a case of every individual consumer doing his or her bit.

A new web magazine is now offering free tips for conscientious housewives to prepare for what summer may bring. Setsuden Shufu no Tomo (literally, “energy-saving housewife friends”) has sections specifically on tactics for the summer season, though it also includes ideas for how to save gas and water. It went public only on the 16th so some parts are a little bare, but there are columns featuring reports from the earthquake region and, as you’d expect, a whole heap of practical advice on what to do to reduce your electricity consumption.

Examples include putting blinds (traditional sudare screens) on the windows, spraying the blinds with water, growing plants to absorb the boiling sunlight, and keeping the room temperature at a modest 28 degrees Celsius (82.4 Fahrenheit) (i.e. resisting the temptation to whack on the air-conditioning and cool yourself right down). A lot of this may be just commonsense but modern conveniences and technologies have often made us forget that we should bother with these things. Consumers in Japan may start to discover their resourcefulness again while dealing with a changing situation, what we have been calling the new normal.

The organizers — a publishing company responsible for a spate of magazines — is drawing the content from other previously released resources in its empire, and no doubt is hoping that the traffic and publicity for Setsuden Shufu no Tomo may then roll onto its other digital and analog enterprises.

It may seem easy to dismiss housewives but they are a powerful market force in Japan. Thousands of them dabble in online currency markets and they are very savvy at utilizing their mobile tools to acquire the best bargains, through coupon portals like Shufoo! and Mainichi Tokubai. Tokyo needs to harness their strength to avoid the blackouts.

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Last week saw the grand opening of a brand new total beauty facility from Japanese beauty giant Shiseido, “Shiseido The Ginza” offering shoppers far more than just a mere retail experience.

Situated in the heart of Ginza, a luxury shopping area in central Tokyo, the space consists of three floors of beauty related products and services. Aiming to provide “a place where you can meet undiscovered aspects of yourself,” Shiseido have created a very modern, fresh space featuring beauty parlors, product sampling areas, a photo studio and even incorporated some cutting edge interactive shopping experiences for customers to play with. Rather than simply a cosmetic or beauty products shop, the space gives customers a chance to indulge themselves in a far more engaging retail experience and immerse themselves in the full Shiseido brand experience.

The first floor features Shiseido’s full product lineup along with a number of fully interactive digital cosmetic mirrors. Customers scan a barcode of a chosen product and the “mirror” then automatically applies the product on the image of the customers face. Allowing shoppers to try varying shades of mascara or eyeliner from different angles, customers are able to virtually try the product and find the most complementing shades for them. There are also a number of scanning terminals where shoppers can scan products and receive more information including application tips and beauty secrets.

Shoppers are then invited to the second floor where they can chat with trained staff to find out more about certain products and cosmetics found on the first floor. There are also a number of booths allowing customers to trial different products, and a “Bihada Lounge” where professional counsellors can diagnose skin types using specialized equipment and recommend different skincare regimes. The whole second floor is a far more indulgent shopping experience, inviting shoppers to be pampered with a hair and makeup salon staffed by estheticians from the Shiseido Academy of Beauty & Fashion, and even a photo studio to capture ladies at their glowing best.

Moving up to the third floor also moves up the luxury ladder, exuding an elegant feel with a Swarovski crystal chandelier above plush carpet and individual counseling rooms for full private beauty sessions offering the brands premium products. Once again taking advantage of some of the most advanced beauty technology specialsed equipment and software designed by Shiseido, gives visitors the chance to learn more about their skin condition and offers a “total approach to beauty”. The private booths are particularly nicely designed with darker colors and sleek modern furnishings providing a more intimate space featuring massage chairs, showers, Shiseido branded towels and other beauty devices.

The interior is fully designed by Klein Dytham who are well known for their innovative and stylish work and is built around an “Arch” concept. Inviting customers to find hidden areas in the shop which each have their own distinct theme, whether it be a Moroccan looking powder booth or a more clinical treatment room, shoppers are encouraged to explore the whole space, try, buy and generally indulge themselves.

More and more brands are moving toward utilizing their spaces as more than just simple retail shops, aiming to provide a brand experience which becomes part of a consumer’s lifestyle . This idea of a fully immersive shopping experience works particularly well with the cosmetic and beauty sector, where shoppers can either pop in for their favorite product or spend the full day being pampered in luxury surroundings.

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This summer is quite possibly going to be an unpleasant, sticky experience in Tokyo. All right, it’s like that every year but with the prospect of a potential 10 million kilowatt shortfall in electricity (around 20% of what was needed last summer) due to the ongoing post-earthquake power issues, aircon use is likely to be severely curtailed.

Of course we can all do our bit and retail has been reducing its lighting since March. Even that “special day” of yours can still be special while limiting its impact on the situation. Wedding services company Pridal introduced a new energy-saving bridal package in late April that turns a way to cut down on electricity into a romantic setting. Its Candle Bridal pack is now on offer at hotels in Tokyo and the surrounding area: You can choose to dim the electric lighting in exchange for a candle-lit experience, thereby saving energy and creating an appropriate mood for the wedding meal.

Due to the conditions of different wedding reception venues Pridal cannot promise the Candle Bridal option will always be available, but currently it is at least possible at six major hotels. To be fully accurate, though, they also won’t be turning off the lights completely, so the energy-saving is not total.

With the current mood of “self-restraint” luxury services such as weddings will be suffering. Ordinary consumers will likely feel guilty indulging in celebrations, especially the often extravagant, expensive and electricity-zapping banquets that reign over the summer and autumn. Pridal here is offering a nice, guilt-free alternative, adapting its services to customers’ emotional states and the country’s needs, and cunningly avoiding cancellations and postponements.

Another idea might be to jettison the wedding dress and suit — and opt for energy-saving clothes instead!

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It has been said that the Japanese don’t always wear their hearts on their sleeves and it can be particularly hard to judge their emotions. Step in the team from “neurowear” who have developed a product called “necomimi” which takes brain signals from our emotions and turns them into visible actions rendering them in the form of wiggling cat ears.

Advertising it as a new communication tool that “augments the human body and ability”, the website introduces the product as a fashion item and gadget that uses brainwaves and other biosensors. Designed obviously for the cutesy Japanese market with its cat ear shape (neco and mimi being the words for cat and ear) the ears mimic a cat’s ears as they wiggle and rise with the wearers emotional state, for example rising in anticipation of eating a delicious cookie, or drop down when relaxed.

The product, although at present a bit of a commercial gimmick, could actually be used for a number of other functions. For example, to help allow mentally disabled people show their feelings and easing frustrations within those who are verbally challenged. This kind of technology that doesn’t require too many intrusive components could certainly help in treatment by non verbally demonstrating wearers emotions, particularly in children. The same technology could also be used within other applications. Embedded in a hard hat for example the same brain signal monitor could be worn for workers involved in particularly demanding tasks requiring constant concentration. This kind of new technology aimed at health and wellbeing is a particularly growing market in Japan with its increasing greying society.

The product was on display at Omotesando Hills in the “Smile Bazar” where customers could try it on for themselves.

This is the first product from the “neurowear” company but they have already stated their intention to release more products soon, and if you watch the youtube video it does hint at a follow up with a strange bluetooth like device the passing man is wearing on his ear.

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