The electricity we usually use at home is supplied as alternating current (AC). However, the energy (electricity) created by solar power generators or household fuel cells as well as the energy stored in the household lithium-ion battery are supplied as direct current (DC). Most of the electronic devices found at home run on AC, but actually, there are also many electronic products that internally convert electricity from AC to DC such as PCs and LED lighting. For example, if you use electricity created by the solar power generator at home to run your PC, the electricity needs to be converted twice; first from DC to AC, then from AC to DC again. Of course, energy loss occurs during the conversion processes. In order to reduce such energy loss, Panasonic is currently researching and developing a prototype of the "AC/DC Hybrid Power Distribution System." The government is also putting its back into these efforts and Panasonic is playing a key role in the test pilots conducted together with the Ministry of the Environment and NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization).

A mini stage presentation is held 12 times a day in this corner. What is playing a central role for the system is the "AC/DC Hybrid Power Station," which is the blue portion of the screen found behind the female MC. It integrates and controls the DC power supplied by the solar power generator and the household fuel cell as well as the AC power supplied by the utility company, and distributes the DC and AC efficiently to the respective devices in your home. Because energy loss is reduced, approximately 5-10% energy savings are expected for the entire house.

As mino-san introduced in his entry for CEATEC JAPAN 2009, the socket for DC power found on the upper left portion of the AC/DC-compatible multi-media socket has a very lovable expression. Actually, there is a reason why it has such a unique shape. The power plugs that we currently use are for AC, where the electricity charge or polarity reverses direction periodically, so it doesn’t matter in which direction you plug it in. On the other hand, because the electric charge only goes in one direction with DC, you need to plug it in in the right direction. So, the socket has "contours" and a "mouth" like a person’s face in order to prevent people from inserting the plug the wrong way. By the way, the one on the lower left is a socket for AC power with an earth, the one on the upper right is a LAN-compatible modular jack, and the one on the lower right is a modular jack for telephones.

On the right hand side of the "AC/DC Hybrid Power Distribution System," you can find the "Lifinity ECO Management System." Some of Panasonic’s technologies for making power consumption visible and to "manage" energy use by connecting a wide range of electronic devices in the home together have already been implemented and are currently available in the market. The ability to check the eco status of your home on the large screen TV is also being well received.

At the 'eco ideas' for Manufacturing corner, you can learn about the ways in which energy consumption at factories, stores, and offices may be made "visible," as well as research into new ways to use exhaust heat, and about how to recycle cathode-ray tube TVs. It may be rather difficult to understand since these are eco activities targeting businesses, but I would like to write about them to let you know that Panasonic is also making efforts at its own factories and offices.

First, I would like to introduce 'eco ideas' that "save energy in factories." Even if you want to save energy in factories or offices, it is difficult to figure out exactly how much electricity is consumed by each facility or equipment if you only know the total amount of power consumed. But if you could make the electricity that each facility or equipment uses or how much energy is wasted "visible," you will be able to figure out where you should and could save energy. This will also help enhance the employees' awareness towards saving energy. What would be useful when making power consumption visible is the "compact, simplified power meter optimal for control panel installation" that I introduced briefly in my booth report on the day before the exhibition begins (2). If you install it on the equipment in factories and office, it will provide data such as the instantaneous/accumulated amount of power consumed, electric bill, and amount of CO2 emitted by each equipment.

You can check the meter by opening the cover of the power meter. The photo shows that the amount of CO2 emission is 2.18. If you press the button, you can check to see various measured data such as the amount of power consumed or CO2 emitted. You can also store the measured data onto an SD Memory Card and import the data onto your PC.

This is a "thermoelectric generation system that recycles wasted heat by converting it into electricity." This was the first time I heard the term "thermoelectric generation," but it converts low temperature exhaust heat wasted in factories into electrical energy. In the photo you can see a model of a house used to explain the fundamentals of the system. The fan set inside the model house starts rotating when you place a cup with hot water on top of a thermoelectric generation component mat. Methods that use exhaust heat of much higher temperature have already been implemented, but exhaust heat that is only as hot as warm bathing water can also be converted into electrical energy as well. Exhaust heat of such low temperatures is surely abundant in factories.

I have had opportunities to visit homes that have installed a solar power generator as part of my work as a writer, and I always wonder if "it's possible to store the energy that has been generated at home." Currently, electricity generated during the daytime is used at home and the excess is sold to utility companies. Since it can't generate power during the night, you need to purchase back electricity from utility companies. As electricity is "created, sold, and bought" transmission loss occurs. So, I have believed that accumulator batteries are essential to realizing self-sufficiency using electricity generated at home.

Having said that, it seems like accumulator batteries for home use is about to become a reality. The prototype of the household lithium-ion battery introduced here is comprised of lithium-ion batteries that are the same size as those used for Panasonic’s "Let’s note" PCs.

The white lithium-ion batteries you can see in the front right within the glass case are the same type as the batteries used for "Let’s note" PCs. The lithium-ion battery module that is comprised of 140 pieces of these batteries (called "cells") can be also found within the glass case. What you see on the left is the household lithium-ion battery constructed from 6 module units.

By combining the household lithium-ion batteries with the solar power generator or household fuel cells, you can have enough energy to cover the electricity you need at home each day. The ability to add more of these modules or to connect them in tandem or parallel formation opens up possibilities for a wide range of applications including use as a power source for electric vehicles or industrial vehicles.

Other key features of this accumulator battery are superb safety and reliability. It is not only used for "Let’s note" PCs, but for many PCs used around the world; it has won the trust of the consumers. I have also been using "Let’s note" for a long time, so the household lithium-ion batteries felt like a very familiar product to me.

This year, I have seen more TV commercials and newspaper articles on the solar power generator and household fuel cell, "ENE-FARM." Perhaps this is because the national government has begun to really put their back into measures against global warming, and there is growing interest in "creating energy" at home. I also have noticed that more and more people are starting to install solar panels on their rooftops every time I ride the bullet train.

The solar power generator is very ecological since it generates electricity using sunlight without emitting CO2. Because the solar power generator relies on nature, it cannot generate power when it is rainy or during the night, but if the household lithium-ion batteries I will introduce in detail later on becomes widely available, this demerit may be overcome. It may be the most accessible way to create energy at home because it will be easier for the solar power generator to become more widespread and because it is more financially feasible.

Household fuel cells generate electricity and heat by making the hydrogen extracted from natural gas supplied to homes and oxygen in the air chemically react. The heat emitted is used to create hot water, which is stored in a tank and supplied when needed. I have been looking forward to the day this would become available for purchase since I first wrote about it in an entry for Eco-Products 2 years ago, and since it was introduced to the market by many companies under the name "ENE-FARM" this year its recognition has increased significantly.

Many people in Japan may have already seen the "ECO NAVI" commercials on TV. Until recently, washing machines used to wash the laundry in the same mode regardless to how dirty or not the clothes were… Refrigerators, too, had maintained the same temperature settings inside regardless of how often you opened and closed the doors… This is certainly true. We, consumers, had thought that that was the way it was supposed to be.

"ECO NAVI" combines Panasonic’s sensors and program control technologies to realize optimal energy saving performance for the appliances depending on each individual's living environment or how they use them. Home appliances embedded with "ECO NAVI" think and make decisions on their own to realize such energy-savings. Let me tell you about what I learned watching the "ECO NAVI mini stage presentation."

The 3 white ball-shaped parts on top is the "people sensor." The sensor detects the movement of people in the room and provides strong airflow to a person who is active while providing weaker airflow to a person who is staying still. The model in this photo has 3 people sensors, but the number of these sensor changes according to the room size the air conditioner is compatible to. The small, green protrusion located between the switches on the right is the "insolation sensor." It senses the brightness of the room and adjusts the room temperature. Around this time of year, the room temperature drops rapidly when the sun goes down. On the other hand, the room becomes extremely hot like a sauna when the blazing sunshine comes through the windows in summer. I’m so impressed that the air conditioner can think and make such adjustments on its own.

The white protrusion found inside the refrigerator is the "door opening & closing sensor." This sensor is also found on the drawer. These sensors detect when the refrigerator doors and/or drawers are opened or closed and learn the pattern based on which the doors/drawers are opened and closed. It controls the cooling power and switches to energy-saving mode during the nighttime and when the family is away from home. This helps you save on the electric bill used to keep the refrigerator running 24-7.

When Panasonic's LED light bulbs, "EVERLEDS," were introduced to the market on October 21 (National Light Day) this year, I felt that the era of LED light bulbs have come. Personally, when I think of LEDs I think of small, light, low-power consuming lights. I especially enjoy the holiday flare they add to the city during December as the city is decorated with Christmas illumination. Eco-Products 2009 is my first opportunity to check out for myself the newly introduce LED light bulbs and light fixtures, so I went and asked many questions I have been dying to ask.

The socket sizes of Panasonic's LED light bulbs are E26 and E17. These light bulbs of size E26 are the industry's smallest and lightest. The light bulb I am holding is the small E17 only available as an LED from Panasonic, which lets you change these incandescent light bulbs of light fixtures (encapsulated light fixtures such as downlights without adiabatic treatment) to LED light bulbs for the first time, further expanding the possibility of using LEDs rather than other types of light bulbs. LED light bulbs have a much longer lifespan, so if you change it once, even if you used it for 5.5 hours a day, it will last you approximately 20 years. This means that if you used them for toilets, entrance areas or corridors, you'll probably never have to change these light bulbs ever again. These light bulbs will be great for places where changing the light bulb is a hassle such as for vaulted ceilings you may often find in contemporary architecture or for staircases.

There are some LED light bulbs that are compatible to modulated light fixtures. I tried to adjust the brightness of both LED and incandescent light bulbs at the same time. If you have modulated light fixtures at home, why not give these a try?

On the left hand side of this corner, you can see an exhibit of LED light fixtures. Panasonic offers a wide range of LED light fixtures. So you will be able to have LED fixtures all around your house some day soon. Panasonic manufactures both LED light fixtures and LED light bulbs, so it can meet a wide range of needs from building new houses, renovating old houses, to simply changing light bulbs.

Here you will find down, brackets, pendant, and stand lights. On the left are LED light bulbs and on the right are incandescent light bulbs. The total energy consumed is 209.8W for incandescent light bulbs and 30.9W for LED light bulbs. As you can see, there is a significant difference in the power consumed.

What begins right after the main stage presentation is the "Virtually CO2 zero emissions for the entire house tour." Of course to live, some degree of energy consumption is necessary. But how can we still try to realize virtually zero CO2 emissions? Well, you can find out how if you take part in this tour. Mingling with other energetic children, I also took part in the tour.

When we entered the virtually zero CO2 emission lab and the narration begin, landscapes and numbers appear on the circular display. This display is actually called a "CO2 counter," and as the tour is carried on, it tells us how much CO2 is being reduced. First, we start from "1990 100%"!

When the roll screen for the "save lab" is rolled up, an exhibit of various home electronics appears on the wall. It's truly a sight to see! Panasonic manufactures truly a wide range of products. On average, a family of four has about 100 electronic devices in their home. I had known that in comparison to the past, we have more electronic devices in our homes, but I didn't know we had so much. These electronics use standby power that amounts to 6% of all electricity used, spending equal to approximately 7,800 yen per year. This is very wasteful. Of course you will also learn about the technologies that reduce standby power consumption.

A way to "save energy" - you can feel the difference between incandescent light bulbs and LED light bulbs. If you stand underneath 50 incandescent light bulbs, you can feel that it gets quite hot. It seems that with incandescent light bulbs 90% of the energy is converted into heat, and only approximately 10% of the energy goes into creating light. This seems very wasteful. Then, I stood under 50 LED light bulbs, but I couldn't feel heat at all. You could see how much total power these light bulbs consume. Although the brightness is the same, LED light bulbs only use about 1/8 the power of incandescent light bulbs. You can see how efficiently LEDs convert electricity into light.

Other technologies such as "ECO NAVI" that combines control and sensor technologies and thinks about the optimal eco for our lifestyle are also introduced in the "save lab" section. Through energy saving activities, how much CO2 emissions are we able to reduce? If you look up at the "CO2 counter" you can see how the CO2 emissions levels have decreased by 65%. So in other words, CO2 emissions have been reduced to 35% of what it was in 1990 (the "35%" mentioned in the "Booth report on the day before the exhibition begins (2)" was this figure). Next, we have the "create lab" and "store lab."

In these labs, the research staff introduces how energy and heat may be created by solar power generators and the household fuel cell cogeneration system and how the energy generated may be stored in the household lithium ion battery until you need to use it in an easy to understand manner. I knew that you could generate energy and heat at home, but I did not know that technologies to "store" energy had advanced this far. If you think about it, the rays of the sun are not always consistent. Depending on whether it's sunny, overcast, or rainy, the amount of energy generated changes, and the sun goes down at night. So, these accumulator batteries play a key role in complementing the changes in the natural conditions and to provide a stable energy supply.

Although there is a limit to how much energy we can save, if we can create and store energy at home, we can reduce CO2 this way, too. Well, perhaps "set off" is a better word than reducing. Perhaps that is why Panasonic describes these endeavors as "virtually zero CO2 emissions."

And when you look at the "CO2 counter," 35% has gone down all the way to zero. This is the secret to a "lifestyle with virtually zero CO2 emissions." But the tour has not come to an end yet. We still have the "manage lab."

What is described in the "manage lab" is the "Intelligent HEMS (Home Energy Management System" and the "AC/DC Hybrid Power Distribution System." The electronic devices at home are independent of one another. Before you go to bed, you might turn off the air conditioning, the TV and the lighting - we perform these tasks every day. If the electronic devices are connected together, and can predict people's movement and actions, think, and perform these tasks for us, we can successfully curtail even greater CO2 emissions. This is Panasonic's "Intelligent HEMS."

Our senses actually are quite unreliable. We may not notice that the air conditioning is on too strong, if we are focused on watching TV, or we may forget to turn the light off in the afternoon when the skies have cleared after a rainy morning. We may forget, but it would be great if the sensors that detect temperature, humidity, brightness, and people's motion inside the various electronic products could work together and reduce CO2 emissions. Moreover, perhaps this may still be an unfamiliar concept for general consumers, but the Home Energy Management System, which has evolved even further, will certainly become more widespread in the future.

The "AC/DC Hybrid Power Distribution System" and the "Intelligent HEMS" are mainly introduced using video images. These are still only available as prototypes, but it seems that Panasonic is aiming to make them available to the market in 3~5 years, so an era where home electronic devices learn and think on their own, and save energy seems to be right around the corner.

Panasonic's exhibition theme for Eco-Products 2009 is a bit long but, a "Lifestyle with virtually zero CO2 emissions for the entire house." Reducing the amount of CO2 we emit at home is an important task essential to preventing global warming, but as long as we live, we can't reduce CO2 emissions to zero. However, Panasonic proposes that you can reduce the CO2 emission for the "entire house" to "virtually zero." This concept is introduced in the main stage presentation, so let me tell you about it in this entry.

I have talked about the "Panasonic Eco Relay," which are environmental activities Panasonic endeavors to make widespread around the world, in my entries for other exhibitions. "Panasonic Eco Relay" as well as many other eco activities are being introduced at the Eco-Products 2009 as well. What you see on the panels are representative case examples of such eco activities from factories in Japan, Brazil, Thailand, Tanzania and United States.

The diaries of the winners of the eco illustration diary contest are also on display. Children around the world submitted an illustration of the eco activities they undertake at school or at home. A girl from Japan submitted an illustration about how she made soap from waste oil, and a girl from the United Kingdom drew a picture of recycling activities. The children's pictures and diary entries are very fun and intriguing. Unfortunately I couldn't read Thai or Vietnamese.

On the monitor set up in one corner, you can watch video clips of eco activities Panasonic undertakes all around the world. This monitor is a touch panel, so you can spin the image of a globe you see in the screen center and select any one of the 23 eco activities you would like to learn more about. Looking at these video clips, I realized anew that Panasonic has offices/factories all around the world, and people who work in them are committed to eco activities with the same desire in mind. The video clips are also available in English and Chinese.

In the 'eco ideas' for Manufacturing corner, where you can learn about the ways in which Panasonic is reducing CO2 emitted from its business activities, you will find sections on "Commitment to reducing CO2 emissions throughout the manufacturing process," "Saving energy at factories," and "Recycling." Especially with "Saving energy at factories," Panasonic proposes that saving energy should be promoted by making electricity use visible using meters and gauges and also reusing heat currently being thrown away for heat power generation. The experimental tools, which I thought would be especially interesting for people from associated industries I touched upon briefly in yesterday's entry, "Booth report on the day before the exhibition begins (2)," is in this corner. I am excited to learn more about what will be shown here.

In the "save" corner you will find a section introducing the Panasonic house. Houses play an important role in reducing CO2. You can see the words, "The path of air, Tower S," but I am excited to see what ideas are exhibited here. I will also write about this in more detail later on.

In the "save" zone, you will find various products that help save energy at home. In the corner introducing home appliances with ECO NAVI, which helps realize the most appropriate eco practices that promise a comfortable living, you will find many products embedded with ECO NAVI. And opposite it, you will find corners on a "comfortable eco lifestyle with 'VIERA Link'" and "next generation lighting, LED lighting equipment." There is also a mini stage in the "ECO NAVI" corner.

• VIERA Link

Once you are finished with the "Virtually zero CO2 emissions for the entire home tour" and exit the space, you will find an exhibition corner on your right with the theme, "Link." Here, you will find products that will play a key part in HEMS. Have you ever heard of the term, HEMS? It stands for Home Energy Management System, which controls numerous devices automatically and helps save energy at home. It is drawing great attention recently as an effective method for preventing global warming. You will find the Lifinity ECO Management System and the much talked about AC/DC Hybrid Power Distribution System here.

The last stop on the "Virtually zero CO2 emissions for the entire home tour" is the "managing lab." There are 3 plasma monitors here, side by side, but what kind of explanation will be given here? So far we have taken a peek at "saving lab," "creating lab," and "storing lab." It is relatively easy to imagine what these may be about, but perhaps the "managing lab" is the most difficult to understand for consumers (including myself). I will also talk about this more in detail in the entries to come.

Next, we have the "creating and storing lab." Under "creating lab," Panasonic introduces panels for the solar power generation system and household fuel cells, and with respect to "storing lab," it introduces household lithium-ion batteries that are shaped like a box. By the way, I had known about ways to generate power at home to a certain extent, but I had thought that it was difficult to store the generated energy at home. But perhaps I can learn about a great way to pool the electricity here in the "storing lab."

• Household Fuel Cell Cogeneration System

Four labs are found in the circular space used for the "Virtually zero CO2 emissions for the entire home tour." And the lab that is found on your immediate left when you enter the area is the "saving lab." There are 3 roll screens, and a cubic diagram with illustrations for home electronics. These are familiar home electronics, but what are these going to be used for? You can find out what lies beyond the roll screen when you take part in the "Virtually zero CO2 emissions for the entire home tour."

When you enter the circular space, which looks like it houses something interesting inside, from the side of the main stage, you will find 4 labs used for the "Virtually zero CO2 emissions for the entire home tour." There are various exhibits inside the lab, but what I am especially interested in is the gigantic circular display that encircles the space. I was told that this plays a key role in the "Virtually zero CO2 emissions for the entire home tour." I'll tell you more about it when I go and take part in the tour!

December 10, 10:00 - the Eco-Products 2009 has begun! The skies in Tokyo today are clear, unlike yesterday. I had worn many layers in anticipation, but on the way to Tokyo Big Sight I got so warm, I had to take my down jacket off.

The Panasonic booth is located in East 3 Hall of the Tokyo Big Sight. The hall is at the very back, on the right hand side. When you enter the hall entrance, you will see a white house shaped wall with the words, "Lifestyle with virtually zero CO2 emissions throughout the entire house." Please head in that direction to find the Panasonic booth!

The Panasonic booth is located adjacent to the "eco foods and sweets" and the "green store," which sells green products - these are events being held by the organizers - so it may be good to visit the Panasonic booth before or after lunch or shopping.

Did you happen to see today's (Dec 10) morning paper? In time with the opening day of Eco-Products 2009, Panasonic has placed a full-page advertisement in the morning papers. The advertisement features a house with solar panels on its roof, and a tour guide taking people through the home holding up a flag that bears the words, "Virtually zero CO2 emissions." The "Virtually zero CO2 emissions" tour will be offered at the Panasonic booth starting today, and I will tell you more about it later.

This is the advertisement that was published today. The copy reads "Please come and experience the lifestyle with "virtually zero CO2 emissions" unique to Panasonic." It is a very cute panoramic illustration. You can also look at a bigger image of the advertisement on Panasonic's website (sorry, the website is only available in Japanese).

The day has passed so quickly, it’s already after 20:00. The set up of the Panasonic booth is steadily underway and preparations for tomorrow's opening are still going on.

This year, the Panasonic booth will feature a concept stage presentation, a booth tour, and 3 mini stage presentations. Rehearsals are being conducted everywhere around the booth, so it is very lively here. As you can see, the MC and narrators are also dressed quite warm. In spite of the cold temperatures of the booth, everyone is concentrating on their performance.

At the "Expanding to buildings, cities" corner, staff are thoroughly and repeated testing out the system. What is shown on the display is the "RiSuPia," which is located within the Panasonic Center Tokyo. I wonder what kind of 'eco ideas' will be introduced here. A demonstration will be held here starting tomorrow, so I have to come back and check it out!

This number, "35%" will appear during the “Virtually zero CO2 emissions throughout the entire house tour,” which is the key feature of the booth this year. I watched the staff as they rehearsed the tour. It lasts about 15 minutes and it covers a wide variety of content. A woman in a white coat who enacts the part of the researcher will take you through the tour and introduce Panasonic’s initiatives for reducing CO2 emissions in an easy to understand manner. The tour does not end with the number "35%." You will find out how the story ends later on, so please look forward to my entry about the tour! This tour will be held 24 times a day from 10:00 to 17:40, so if you have time, please come check it out for yourself!

What I found intriguing while I was looking around the booth were the experimental tools, which would probably be especially interesting for people from associated industries, displayed in the 'eco ideas' for Manufacturing corner. For example, you can find a “demo kit of a compact, simplified power meter optimal for control panel installation,” which is introduced as an “initiative being implemented at the Tatsuno Factory of Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd.” I can’t figure out what it is being used for yet, so I look forward to finding out. There are also many other products that are veiled in mystery. I can't wait to ask the staff in the booth once the exhibition begins and to learn more about them.

The Eco-Products 2009 will begin tomorrow. I have made my way over to the Tokyo Big Sight in order to tell you what it is like at the Panasonic booth on the day before the exhibition. At 13:30, the booth is in the middle of being set up. Many people of varying professions walk to and fro as they work, so when looking around the booth I tried to stay out of the way as much as possible.

From my house, I have to change trains 3 times to get to the Tokyo Big Sight. On the way I saw 2 transit ads and 1 poster in the train station bearing the Eco-Products 2009 advertising. Because of the economic recession, you often see empty transit ad space, but I was very happy when I saw these Eco-Products ads.

This is the Panasonic booth at around 16:00. Looking around the booth as it is being completed, I saw how so many more LEDs are being used in comparison to the past. I am looking forward to what the booth will look like in the end.

The temperatures in Tokyo are 12 degrees Celsius at the moment. The skies are gray and overcast, a very familiar sight in the winter here in Tokyo. Although it is cold outside, the set up is being conducted with the big service entrance doors wide open, so the temperatures inside the East 3 Hall where the Panasonic booth is located is the same as that outdoors. The staff are dressed quite warm and I also wore a down jacket when I looked around the booth. The service entrance doors will be closed tomorrow when the exhibition begins, so don't worry, it shouldn't be as cold as it is today!

Panasonic Center Tokyo is walking distance from the Tokyo Big Sight where the Eco-Products will take place. Every year, an event is held at the Panasonic Center Tokyo in time with the Eco-Products. This year, an “Eco Quiz Rally” will take place using the entire building from December 12, the final day of Eco-Products. You will get a prize if you answer all the questions found in various areas of the building and collect all the stamps (only on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays).

Panasonic Center Tokyo has several long-term exhibitions that let you have fun while learning about eco such as the “Ecology ideas,” which can be found on the second floor, and the “eco ideas HOUSE,” which is the building adjacent. You will be guided through the “eco ideas HOUSE” by a staff who will describe the eco conscious lifestyle Panasonic proposes for the entire house. And a tour for children is being offered starting this October, so it is well designed to entertain both adults and children. The tour of the “eco ideas HOUSE” is available on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays. It is admission free, so why not stop by on the way back from Eco-Products?

You can find more detailed information about the facility and events on the Panasonic Center Tokyo website. Workshops for children on energy are also popular and it often becomes fully booked as soon as the information becomes available on the website. I especially recommend the following 2 events. *Dec 12 (Sat), 13 (Sun) - "Let's think about energy" This is a tour-like event where you can learn about energy while having fun by taking part in hybrid car engineering workshops. *Dec 19 (Sat), 20 (Sun) - "Eco and health post motorization" An event that lets you learn about the key to a low carbon society, a future transportation system, and electronic assist bicycles in a fun and enjoyable way.

In addition to the Panasonic Center Tokyo, which is located near the Tokyo Big Sight, there is also a similar facility in Osaka. Found within the Osaka Business Park in Kyobashi, the Panasonic Center Osaka offers a variety of exhibits and events such as the “Environmental Showcase” and the “Eco Action Stage” that make learning about eco enjoyable for both parents and children alike. If you live near the area and cannot find time to come to Tokyo, please go visit the Panasonic Center Osaka.

Time passes so quickly and we only have a month to go until 2010. And it's already the season for Eco-Products 2009, which will take place in about a week. The number of visitors increases every year in line with the rise in awareness for the environment. This year over 180,000 visitors are expected to come to Eco-Products, which attracted a total of 173,917 visitors in 3 days last year. Although the number of exhibitors has slightly decreased from 758 to 721 this year and many exhibitions have significantly downsized in scale, Eco-Products seems to remain driven by society's growing interest towards the environment. Please note that, as was the case last year, its opening hours will be from 10:00 to 18:00 on the first 2 days and from 10:00 to 17:00 on the final day.

According to the official site of the Eco-Products 2009, this year’s exhibition theme is "More Questions about Japanese Power – the First Year of Social Power." The representative of the Eco-Products operation office said to me, "We cannot simply rely on the power of companies or environmental technologies. Rather, the energy and commitment of the national and local governments, NPOs, students, and citizens can together become a new source of power. This power we believe can help realize a better society and environment. Eco-Products is an exhibition that offers a glimpse into such a bright future." Through my experiences as a writer over the past few years, I have also become aware that the energy-saving and environmental technologies of Japanese manufactures are among the best in the world. If governments and individuals become even more aware of the environment, our future will be different for sure.

You can find information on events hosted by the organizers of the exhibition such as the “eco tour,” “eco car test-drive” and “ecollaboration plaza” on the official website. There is also a great line-up of symposia and seminars that will be held jointly with Eco-Products. Most of them are admission free, but some require pre-registration and/or an attendance fee, so I suggest that you check the website in advance.

The Panasonic booth will feature solutions that reduce household CO2 emissions, but that go even one step further. I will be introducing the Panasonic booth in detail as soon as I get more information about it, so stay tuned!

Hi! This is mako, the writer for the Cyber Showcase Blog, I covered the Home Care and Rehabilitation Exhibition in September. I have followed the entries for the various exhibitions that followed written by mino-san who covered CEATEC JAPAN, hiroyuki-san who covered GITEX in Dubai, and atsuko-san who covered Inter BEE in Japan. Job well done to you all!

And now it is almost time for the Eco-Products 2009 (Japan), which I will be in charge. The unique characteristic of this exhibition is that there will be a lot of students who come as part of their extra curricular activities. I hope to explore the booth among the energetic children and write reports with a fresh eye in real-time.

Eco-Products 2009

Period: December 10 (Thurs) – December 12 (Sat), 2009
Venue: Tokyo Big Site (Tokyo, Japan)
Sponsor: Japan Environmental Management Association for Industry (JEMAI)
Nikkei Inc.
Official site: http://www.eco-pro.info/eco2009/english/