It has been a month since my last report for the H.C.R. 2007. I remember that I spent 3 whole days walking across the huge venue, watching tens of thousands of people come and go, and talking to all sorts of people. For a while after the exhibition, it felt as though I was experiencing an afterglow. And 3 weeks after the H.C.R., I had an opportunity to report about welfare vehicles for another job, unrelated to this blog, and visited the Tokyo Motor Show 2007 held at Makuhari Messe. The scale of the Tokyo Motor Show was far more extensive in terms of dimensions of the venue and the number of visitors, and my impression of the exhibition was that the "vehicles were the main stars." But when I think back, I feel that "people were the main stars" of the H.C.R.

The visitors who came to the H.C.R. at a glance included those who use welfare equipment regularly or who work in welfare or care service business, or students who study about welfare or care. What I learned from the 3 days at the exhibition was that the many of the visitors were extremely friendly. When I was staring at the operation panel of the "Rakuraku (Easy) Walk," a lady spoke to me and taught me how to operate it. Another person asked me in front of the care device if I knew how to use it. Such experiences came as a refreshing surprise because talking to a stranger is not something that regularly happens when working in Tokyo.

When I come to think about it, people have face-to-face relationship in the field of welfare and care. Through my work as a helper, I often realize the importance of communication. I am not sure if I am in the right going as far to say that H.C.R. provides opportunities for people to get to know each other in depth by employing welfare equipment as the common language, but that is a thought that occurred to me. It is an "the exhibition that brings people closer."

Lastly, I would like to express my gratitude to all of you for reading my blog, the staff who kindly supported me, and the Panasonic staff who took time out of their busy schedule to respond to my interviews. Thank you very much!

H.C.R. video reports are now available!



Three video reports have been uploaded – "Digest 1 – Concept Stage Presentation and the Latest Welfare Equipment," "Digest 2 – Universal Design," and "Transfer Assist Robot and the Rehabilitation Assistance Series." Although the crew tried to shoot during low traffic times, you can still see how busy the Panasnoic booth was from the shots.

Because they are videos, you can see how the welfare equipment actually moves and maneuvers, which is something that is difficult to fully communicate with just photographs and text. And those of you who may be interested in the transfer assist robot, the video demonstrates in a very easy to understand way how the robot may be operated, so please check it out for yourself.

I think that electric toothbrushes are very useful for the elderly who have a hard time brushing their teeth. I used to help out a woman who suffered from rheumatoid arthritis for over 30 years. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease, and some symptoms include stiff joints, joint deformity, and gradual weakening of muscles all over the body. This lady used to stretch every day saying, "I want to take care of myself as mush as possible," but she had difficulties brushing her teeth. Although she could get her hands to hold the toothbrush she couldn't move them in a brushing motion, so I remember how she used to say, "I wish I had an electric toothbrush." I am sure there are many people out there, who may not suffer from the same disease, but who may have difficulties brushing their teeth.

The electric toothbrush "Doltz" made by Panasonic removes dental plaque with high speed microscopic vibrations that cannot be seen with the naked eye (it is so fast, you wonder if it is really vibrating, and because it was so fast, I couldn't get a good photograph of it). On the other hand, it has many features that keeps your teeth and gums from getting damaged. For example, it has a function to prevent you from pressing the toothbrush too hard against your gums - if you press the toothbrush firmer against your teeth, the vibrations become weaker. And it also has a soft mode. Electric toothbrushes have undergone great improvements, too.

The ions tackle the plaque, and the power of the linear motor blasts them away.

The H.C.R. 2007 has just ended. At 17:00, with the song "Auld Lang Syne," the massive crowd of people who were in the venue until then headed reluctantly for their homes. The entrances/exits to the East Exhibition Hall 4 have been closed up, and the dismantling of the booth has begun. Watching the staff working with great efficiency, I feel a mixture of emotions - some relief and loneliness.

Over the 3 days of the exhibition, I walked about the expansive space of the Tokyo Big Sight. I do not get enough exercise usually, so my legs feel as though they had turned into sticks, but every exhibitor had not only put a lot of effort into their products but also in how they were displayed, and well, perhaps this is a bit late, but I realize how the world of welfare and care has become such a major field. Having had the opportunity to speak to many people involved in this field during the exhibition was truly a dear experience. I will take a long hot bath tonight to recover, so that I can get back on my feet next week to write my articles.

What you will find at the very back of the Panasonic booth are supplies for home care. They are all products that have been around for a while, but they are familiar products that play a key role in people's lives.

There is always a big crowd in the corner displaying home care products. This is a photograph I took around noon on the third day of the exhibition. This is a "miraculous photograph" as I was able to take it in the beat of a second the flow of people stopped.

Let me introduce the new and improved products from the corner introducing excretion care items. I introduced the portable toilet "Shower Pot," which was designed to look like a piece of furniture, last year. This year, a new version, the "Shower Pot LS" has appeared. The shape has become rounded over all, and now it is easier to sit down and get up as you can place your feet farther back.　　And for caretakers, the bucket is now easier to take out, and the water tank for flushing the toilet has also become removable so it has become even easier to maintenance.

"Shower Pot LS." It is very round unlike the rectangular portable toilets in the past.

And next, let me introduce the new products from the bathing care assistance corner. Let's focus on the "folding compact shower chair – stool type" introduced to the market this month. Unlike other chairs, the back portion is shaped like a bar and I think it's a bit stylish. This design reflects customers' feedback Panasonic has received about the difficulty of washing someone's back if there is a big seat back. I thought, "it certainly does make washing someone's back easier, but what about stability?" So I tried sitting on it, and I found that it is amazingly stable. I leaned back against the back bar as I sat in the chair, but the chair didn't move at all. And the material used for the seat is a nice softness offering just the right amount of pressure.

On the left is the "folding compact shower chair – stool type " and on the right is the "folding compact shower chair." The names are quite similar, but you will be able to choose the one you are looking for if you look at the seat back.

I again saw the portable conversation aid "Let's Chat," which offers communication assistance to people who have speech disorders and upper limb disabilities, at the Panasonic booth this year. As usual, it is very popular, and Mr. Matsuo, the developer, was surrounded by people all around. When things subsided a bit, Mr. Matsuo told me a very touching story.

Akari, a little 9 year old girl, was born with a chronic disease know as spinal muscular atrophy. So she has been confined to her bed since she was a few months old. Despite this, she is a very social girl who expresses her thoughts and will clearly, so she actively communicates with her friends and family. She loves to spend time with her friends, so she attends a public school with them and uses the "Let's Chat" to converse and study. "Let's Chat" not only displays words, but it can speak for you too, so Akari is able to communicate her thoughts to her friends.

Mr. Matsuo has had a relationship with Akari and her parents for 2 years now, that developed through "Let's Chat." One day, Akari's mother decided to send a letter to Mr. Ohtsubo, the President of Panasonic, to express their appreciation for "Let's Chat," which has enable them to experience the joy of conversation, and a happier life. She said in the letter she illustrated herself that "Akari, too, uses Let's Chat. Thank you so much." President Ohtsubo was very touched by this letter and told Mr. Matsuo to "employ even greater efforts in the development of welfare equipment."

A letter from Akari and her mother to President Ohtsubo. Akari wrote and drew the message with bright illustrations.

I have a book written by one of Akari's teachers. The title, roughly translated says, "Akari, together with everyone – A little girl with spinal muscular atrophy, studies at the regional school." When I read this book, which vividly captures Akari's life at the school, I was overwhelmed by the joy of communication and importance of expressing one's emotions. And "Let's Chat" plays a very very important role. I can imagine how Mr. Matsuo has been involved with each junction of her growth. And I feel a surge of emotions when I think that making welfare equipment is this rewarding. Perhaps it's not appropriate for me to say, but I want to say to everyone involved in welfare and care equipment that "you're doing a wonderful job."

Akari is a big fan of the Hanshin Tigers baseball team! Glad in their gear, she is headed for their baseball game again.

"Akari, together with everyone – A little girl with spinal muscular atrophy, studies at the regional school" (written and edited by Ms. Motoko Otake; published by Kamogawa Co., Ltd.). The spirited Akari and how she spends her days was introduced on the NHK's (public broadcaster in Japan) educational program and in magazines.

The "Relakturn" is a 6-wheel wheelchair for indoor use. As you can may be tell from the name of the product, it is a wheelchair that you can turn very easily in. Compared to 4-wheelers, 6-wheel wheelchairs have a smaller turning radius, so the "Relakturn," has approximately 35cm smaller turning radius than ordinary wheelchairs used for care. Such mobility is essential in the small Japanese homes.

This year Panasonic has introduced the "RT-1," which is an improved model of the "Relakturn." The "RT-1" is a 6-wheel wheelchair that may be used indoors and outdoors, so you only need 1 for both environments. The difference between the 2 models is that the "RT-1" has a 5-cm higher seat, reflecting the needs of customers who wanted "higher wheelchair seats"; it has a handle-break on the grip; and the seat back may be adjusted. There are many other smaller ideas that have been employed, so I realized how Panasonic's wheelchair continues to meet the needs of its users.

On the left is the "Relakturn" and on the right is the "RT-1." They look like twins.

The seat back of the"RT-1" on the right may be adjusted.

Both are equipped with gas springs and are easy to tilt.

I wrote about the going-out series, "Refit," last year. These included the orange and gray wheelchairs, wheelchairs mainly used as a walking aid, and the cane. I thought I could sense Panasonic's desire to make going out as fun as possible for the elderly who may be a little unsure of their walking ability. It seems that customers have given feedback saying that "although they had given up going very far, it made them feel adventurous and helped them travel to farther destinations."

On the far left we have the going out series, "Refit," then "Refit (Petit)," and "Lycle Acty." You can easily tell that there is only 1 brace (or piping underneath shaped like an "x") on the "Lycle Acty" on the far right.

There is a pocket for the cane on the back side of the "Refit."

What especially fascinated me as I learned more about the products is just how comfortable Panasonic's wheelchairs are. I can only imagine how important riding comfort must be for people who receive care; it truly must be an extremely important issue for people who use wheelchairs for an extended period of time.

You can test ride the wheelchairs over a simulation of a bumpy surface to see how comfortable they are.

The "Lycle Acty" from the going out series absorbs approximately 60% of the shock from the surface with its "single brace structure" and the fore-wheel caster with cushion-like properties. The "single brace structure," obviously as the name clearly implies, only has 1 brace, when there are usually 2. So if the front wheel on one side goes over a bump, it tries to absorb the shock as much as possible with one arm of the brace structure, and reduces the effect on the other. Many of the elderly tend to stay cooped up in their homes, but I hope that they will have more opportunities to go out and to interact with society by using this wheelchair.

In the toilet/utilities corner, you will find a traditional toilet and the latest. At a glance, it's hard to tell the difference, but actually there is a big one. The fully automatic self-cleaning toilet, "A La Uno" comes packed with ideas that help keep it clean. Stepping outside the grand norm, toilet = ceramics, Panasonic has employed a new organic glass material that is tough against stains. You only need to clean the "A La Uno" once every 3 months – unbelievable considering how often you have to clean normal toilets. The thinking "easy to clean" as well as "hard to get dirty" is very pleasing for those of us who have to clean toilets. It's discomforting when you see stains on your toilet, so you couldn't ask for more if the toilet doesn't get dirty as much. And housewives who like to keep their houses very clean probably clean their toilets daily so, only having to do what use to be a frequent task only once every 3 months is like a dream come true.

On the left is the traditional toilet. And the one on the right is the fully automatic self-cleaning toilet "A La Uno."

Another reason why "A La Uno" is easy to clean is that it is completely made from one piece, so it doesn't have niches. Usually the toilet are made in a few pieces - the toilet, the seat, and lid - creating niches. When it gets dirty in between the niches, and it doesn't come clean just by wiping the surface, you have to get your brush out and scrub (I tend to be on the lazy side so I only did this once in a while.) So not having any niches is a great piece of news for housewives.

Traditional toilets. There are niches in between the lid and the toilet itself. What if it gets dirty in there?

The latest toilet. With no niches, it looks quite smooth.

"Aqua Heart" is a bathroom unit specially designed for facilities and institutions. The F series, which is exhibited at this year's H.C.R., consists of a 2m x 2m room with a pull out door that folds in 3, and the easy to clean all-in-one floor pan. And it offers a very flexible combination. You may choose to have a Hinoki (Japanese cypress) bathtub, or bathtub suited for care. (At the booth, the sedentary shower, which allows you to take a shower while seated, and the lift stretcher were exhibited.) In fact, day service facilities request for a "bathtub that is accessible from 3 directions."

When I look back on the case examples of care renovations done to the home I have seen many all-in-one (bathroom, toilet, sink) reforms. Walls must be removed to create a bigger space for easier access and a better environment for receiving and giving care. Then you use a washable flooring material that offers easy maintenance. I realized that whether they be homes or facilities, there is no difference when it comes to a better environment for giving and receiving care.

The sedentary shower is on the left, and the lift stretcher is on the right.

Hot water sprays out from arms on both sides and warms the entire body. There is also a hand held shower for more adaptable use

At the corner displaying welfare and care equipment for facilities and institutions, many visitors showed interest in the "Core Trainer JOBA" and the "Rakuraku (Easy) Walk." Many people enjoyed their trial rides. The saddle-type fitness machine, the "Core Trainer JOBA" has been exhibited every year, but this year Panasonic has 2 types; one for general fitness facilities, and the other for care prevention facilities. Because I suffer from lower back pains, I chose the easier one, the one made for care prevention facilities. I selected a weaker setting, but as I tried to balance squeezing the saddle my thighs, it still gave me a fair amount of exercise. By the way, only the "JOBA" for care facilities comes with a handrail.

"Core Trainer JOBA" for fitness facilities on the left and for care prevention facilities on the right.

After that, I tried the fitness equipment that offers exercise for healthy legs, the "Rakuraku (Easy) Walk." It reduces the pressure on your knees from your weight by about half, because you sit on the edge of the seat, bending your knees at about a 140-degree angle. This is perfect for someone "who wants to keep walking to stay healthy." By stepping "right, left, right, left…" in sync with the movement of the seat as the steps on either side sink lower in rhythm you can work out your thighs and calves in a balanced manner.

Many visitors crowd around the 3 "Rakuraku (Easy) Walk" machines.

This is the operation panel of the "Rakuraku (Easy) Walk." You can adjust the angle of your knees according to your height, and choose the length of time and walking speed. It seems so easy to set up even for the elderly; all you need to do is just select the choices given from top down, and press the "start" button at the very bottom.

The "Upper Limb Rehabilitation Suit" under development by Activelink Co., Ltd., one of Panasonic's venture companies, gathered quite a crowd in the Panasonic booth last year. The idea of creating a suit that helps you rehabilitate your upper limb just by wearing it fascinated me. It looked quite out of this world too, as though it would appear in a science fiction movie like ROBOCOP. Preparations are underway to introduce the "Upper Limb Rehabilitation Suit" to the market in 2008.

An evolution from this "Upper Limb Rehabilitation Suit" is the "Finger Rehabilitation Glove." A person who may suffer from paralysis on one side of the body would place both gloves on. And if he/she moves his/her fingers on the healthy hand, the other glove would mimic that movement. It allows a wide range of movement; you can move your fingers one by one, or practice squeezing or playing paper, rock, scissors. I was surprised at how quickly the glove mimics the movement of the healthy hand. What is more, the tips of the fingers lights up before the glove moves visually and mentally preparing you for the movement and allowing you to consciously rehabilitate the digits.

When the aqua blue LEDs on the tips of the fingers lights up once, it begins to move, and when it lights up twice, it follows through with a bigger movement.

Because the mobility of the tips of your fingers is directly related to activities of daily living or ADL, I was told that physical therapists have high hopes for this product. This reminded me of a lady I used to go help who rented a care bed, but because she couldn't grasp the controllers well, she ended up not being able to operate the bed herself. She was always concerned for her husband who took care of her, and she always used to say, "I am sorry, dear." If only she could move her fingers, she could have operated the bed herself without having to feel bad. If such rehabilitation equipment becomes widespread, it may be of help to those people who want to rehabilitate, who want to increase the number of things "they can do themselves."

There are wheelchairs that assist the elderly or people who are physically challenged from the airport to the airplane. To those of you who already know this, this might seem redundant, but as I still have a lot to learn, I only heard about it during my reporting of this year's H.C.R. Come to think of it, even if you come to the airport with your own wheelchair, you may not be able to fit down the narrow aisles of the airplane. And not everyone has a folding wheelchair, so it is more reasonable if the airport had an wheelchair that meets these needs.

This model, the "RT-A" is for display purpose only. There is another one here that you can test out.

The "RT-A" is a wheelchair that Panasonic developed for All Nippon Airways. It has 6 wheels, enabling it to have a narrower seat. Because it has 6 wheels, it can turn on a small radius, and when going through a narrow passage, you can remove the propulsion wheels with the hand rim. The breaks may be easily operated by the person receiving assistance.

If you press the button on the wheels, the wheels come off.

The parking brakes are on. It is hard to tell in the photograph, but the propulsion wheel and the back wheels are in the air. So you can firmly park it in place when transferring seats, for example, onto the seat of a plane.

One of the demonstrations that is drawing much attention at the Panasonic booth is the "Transfer Assist Robot" currently under research and development. As the name indicates, it is a robot that helps transfer people in and out of bed - a high tech care equipment designed to replace care lifts.

Let me describe the demonstration of transferring the mannequin, "Sakura" off the bed. First, the care taker would stand by the bed in between the robots. You use the black lever to move the 2 hands underneath Sakura, who is lying on the bed. The hands are covered by a durable cloth made of resin, which moves very slowly like a conveyor belt to slip smoothly underneath her body. The process in which Sakura who weighs about 40kg, comes to recline on the hands looked so natural, it was almost odd.

According to the developer, "We see the 2 hands of the robot as an extension of the care taker's arms. We designed it so that we can lessen the stress on the care taker, and so that the care recipients may be transferred without worry. We believe that we can significantly decrease their fears as their bodies aren't lifted up in mid-air like the lift, and because they may be transferred without ever breaking eye contact with the care taker."

Home helpers learn to transfer the care recipients by themselves, with a transfer board and sheet, as well as a lift, among others. Especially with the lifts, there are many types, and we have many training opportunities to learn how to use them. We also learned that they help prevent back pains for the care taker and that is it more comfortable. But in order to operate them well, you need to have some experience, and I would be lying if I said that we never think, "What if there is an accident and he/she falls?" During the demonstration I watched the "Transfer Assist Robot" lift Sakura out of bed, but this would be a great option to have if all necessary security precautions have been made.

The care taker stands in between the 2 hands and watches over Sakura.

The hands move slowly assisting Sakura into a seated position. All you need to do is operate a single lever with one hand, so it is quite easy to do. You can use your other hand to support Sakura, so this will enable you to still offer skinship and a care with warmth.

I talked about the TV in part 1, but I would like to tell you about the washer-dryer and the refrigerator in this entry. First the washer-dryer. The latest model of the tilted drum type washer-dryer is compared here with the vertical and horizontal-axis drum type washer-dryer from about 10 years ago. If you compare them, it is quite obvious that the tilted drum type washer-dryer is easier to use; you don't have to bend over too much, or crouch down to load and unload the laundry. And it seems as though the fact that the tilted type makes it possible to load and unload the laundry from a wheelchair is becoming more widely recognized over time. In fact, I have seen the tilted drum type washer-dryer used by a woman in a wheelchair living on her own. It was one of the case examples of care renovations applied to a home.

With the horizontal-axis drum type washer-dryer it is impossible to load laundry while standing up.

On the other hand, the tilted type drum makes it very easy. It may be even easier for elderly who are not so tall.

One thing I was concerned about was the buttons and the ease of operation. Last year I wrote that the model introduced had so many buttons that it may be a bit confusing until you get used to them. But this year's model has fewer buttons. And the buttons more often used are larger and easier to press than the others. Moreover, the color of the buttons and that of the background are different, so the buttons stand out well. In comparison to the older model from last year, the leaps it has made forward is quite obvious. This made me very happy because it felt as though what I said may have made a difference.

The "Start" button in yellow is very eye-catching.

Universal design is also applied to refrigerators. With Panasonic's top unit refrigerator, the compressor, which usually is placed at the bottom of the refrigerator, has been moved to the top, enabling the refrigerator section to be about 9cm shorter. So overall, it is "low-waist." They have designed it so that we can reach into the very back of the top shelf without overstretching.

The drawer of the traditional freezer could be pulled out to a length of 40cm, while the latest model can be pulled out to 53cm. You can clearly see the different in this picture.

Even the highest shelf may be reached by a woman measuring 158cm tall. Because it is "low-waist," you don't need to lift your elbows up high, so it has become easier to take heavy drink bottles out of the refrigerator.

As a home helper I often see a brand new, large screen TV in the homes of the elderly I help out. The elderly are often not familiar with new electronic products, but the TV seems to be a different matter. This probably is an indication that many of them spend a lot of time during the day watching TV. So, when I saw the panel in the living room corner stating that the "VIERA is also grandparents-friendly" it made me feel relieved. I understand that seeking multi-functions/high performance is important, but for the elderly the TVs must be first and foremost eye-friendly and channels must be easy to change. The "VIERA" can control its brightness because its screen is self-illuminating. The traditional cathode-ray tube TV and the "VIERA" are comparatively displayed here, and you can clearly see how different they are in terms of beauty of the images displayed and how the images are prominent and eye-friendly. (It is a shame that my camera skills are not good enough to better communicate how beautiful the images are.)

When I went back to my parents house for summer vacation, I found a new, 37-inch plasma TV sitting in the living room. My parents are in their 70s, and my father recently just had a cataract surgery. He has no problems working the TV, but operating a VCR or a DVD was another matter. It's not as if he was particularly low-tech, but as he got older he developed an aversion to new electrical products. The combination of "VIERA + DIGA," however, helped him break free from this. Because the Electronic Program Guide (EPG) on the screen looks very similar to the familiar program listing found in the newspapers, he can compare the 2 and easily find a program he wants to record.

All you need to do to display the EPG is just press the green "Program" button on the remote control. The button is position so that is easily detectible and it is labeled in big letters, so it is easy to find. Being this straightforward and prominent, I don't think many people would press the wrong button. With this, my father should be able to record his favorite Shogi (Japanese Chess) programs.

The elderly in care facilities may have varying symptoms, but I believe all care facilities try to do their best to ensure safety for their inhabitants. According to one research, the most frequent accidents while patients are receiving care at medical facilities are falling over (59%) and the next one is falling off (19%). In order to reduce accidents caused from falling off, Panasonic has developed the electronic care bed for facilities, the "Sunselfy." It is only 19.5cm off the floor. And even if you place Panasonic's "Comfortable Air Mattress" the bed is only 25cm high. It has been design to be the lowest bed in the field(*). It looks quite low, so this will surely offer reassurance to people using it.

* Electronic care bed (4 motor) as of May 2007.

I asked a lady about 160cm tall to stand next to the bed. You can see how low it is.

I laid down on the "Sunselfy" and tested its vertical movement. It was so smooth, you could hardly tell it was moving. The bed is far removed from fear and pain often caused by vibration. What is more, Panasonic's "Comfortable Air Mattress" is extremely cozy, and it feels like you are sleeping on soba or buckwheat hull. It is a little firm, but this is because there are many elderly who prefer it that way. I suffer from back pains, but I, too, find firmer mattresses more comfortable. A mattress that is too soft is no good. What gives the mattress the soba or buckwheat hull feel is the type of polyester used known as "BREATHAIR®." This polyester elastomer has been reinforced by additives, and offers a high durability that allows it to be used in facilities for over 10 years. Moreover, it can be easily washed in the shower, and has fast drying properties. These are great benefits in terms of maintenance.

The material on the right with rougher weaving is the "Slim Type Comfortable Air Mattress." The one on the left, the "Reversible Comfortable Air Mattress," offers a different firmness on each side. The reversible type is 2.5cm thicker than the slim type, but you can choose the firmness you like. Both mattresses offer the appropriate compression recovery making it easy to roll over.

The "Sunselfy" controller comes with a lock button so you can prevent, for example, patients suffering from dementia from moving the bed too much. You can only lock and unlock the controller by using something pointed like a pen.

Next, facing the stage, on your left you will find the Universal Design (UD) Zone. You will find a comparative display of the latest products and its predecessor, which will illustrate how the point of view of the elderly have been reflected in product design and how the usability has improved.

In the Living Room Corner, there is a 58-inch plasma TV "VIERA." It is interesting if you compare many things with the 29-inch CRT (cathode-ray tube) TV placed next to it.

System kitchen "FiTi" created based on the universal design concept.

The tilted drum type washer-dryer and 2 other types of washing machines are found here.

A comparative exhibition of a traditional model and the fully automatic self-cleaning toilet, "A La Uno."

Vacuum cleaner using paper filter bags. This lets you comfortably check (with a sensor near the handle of the hose) whether the area you have been cleaning is indeed clean.

UD Concept Corner. This corner introduces Panasonic's universal design concept and research.

The Concept Stage located in the center of the Panasonic booth has an 110-inch screen. Fourteen demonstrations a day take place on this stage. Many people stop en route to watch once they hear the BGM and the announcements about the start of the demonstration.

The images displayed on the screen introduce the latest manufacturing ideas based on Panasonic's universal design concept. It explains in an easy to understand way how welfare and care equipment support our lives by naming the plasma TV, the "New Human VIERA" and electronic care bed for facilities and institutions, the "Sunselfy" as examples. And a sign language interpreter provides simultaneous interpretation.

Let me give you a photographic overview of the Panasonic booth. Facing the stage, on your right you will find the latest Welfare and Care Equipment Zone. Panasonic has placed an emphasis on welfare and care equipment for facilities and institutions this year, exhibiting beds, wheelchairs, fitness equipment, and bathroom units.

In the exhibition designed after a bedroom in a care facility, you will find the electric care bed designed to be closer to the floor, the "Sunselfy."

The wheelchair corner with a wide range of wheelchairs Panasonic offers is a sight to see! It is also great that you can test them out for yourself.

The Core Trainer "JOBA" and the "Rakuraku (Easy) Walk."

"Aqua Heart," the all in one bathroom facility.

There are many welfare and care equipment suitable for homes on display as well. First, here is a home elevator.

This is a corner that introduces products that assist with excretion and bathing.

Here are the portable conversation aid, "Let's Chat" and the linear sonic toothbrush, "Doltz."

And here are the audio IC tag recorder, "Smart Talk" and digital hearing aid, "ONWA."

On the Respect for the Aged Day (which is a national holiday in Japan that falls on the third Monday in September) I found an article in the newspaper which said, "The national population in Japan over the age 65 has reached 27.44 million amounting to 21.5% of the total population. In terms of both population and percentage, this is the highest it has been in history." There are many elderly who require care, but from these figures, you can also see that there are many who are still very healthy and leading independent lives.

This year's exhibition theme for the Panasonic booth is "People-friendly manufacturing – Supporting future independence and care." I have come to understand through working as a writer for this blog that Panasonic has held the spirit of "manufacturing" dear since its inauguration. But in addition to this spirit, from the phrase "future independence and care," I feel as though I can sense Panasonic's wish to provide products that are useful for care, so that not only the elderly now but the younger generation who will reach that age in a few decades can live independently as long as possible.

I hope to do my best to communicate how the welfare and care equipment exhibited here are people-friendly over the next 3 days.

The H.C.R. 2007 has finally begun! The skies are a bit cloudy, but it does not look like it is going to rain. Although the first day was rainy last year, it is said that approximately 42,000 people came to the exhibition. Looking at the sheer amount of people gathering at the Tokyo Big Sight, I realize that "the 3 days of the exhibition this year will again be very sultry." I am trembling with excitement (laugh).

When you come to the Tokyo Big Sight, the first thing you see is the conference tower, which looks like 4 upside down pyramids. In the upside down 3-sided pyramid building, there are conference halls with a 1,000 capacity and meeting rooms of various sizes.

10:20. There is already a line in front of the registration booths.

Once you get done with registration, you go through the entrance hall, to the East Exhibition Hall where the H.C.R. is being held. It is quite a distance from the entrance hall to the East Exhibition Hall, so people coming to the venue for the first time may become worried thinking, "Is this really the right way?" You realize the amazing size of the Tokyo Big Sight just walking through this area.

The Panasonic booth is located in the nearest hall, Hall 4, on your left. If you enter the booth and go straight, you will see the words, "Panasonic ideas for life." And the first presentation has just begun on the stage! I am sure the booth will receive many more visitors during the day.

It is a little past 19:00. Only about 15 hours to go until the opening of the H.C.R. 2007. The Panasonic booth, which had been empty until a few hours ago, is lined with products ready to welcome visitors.

If you enter the booth, the universal design zone on the left is presented in warm shades of orange. Calming colors such as those emitted by incandescent lamps have been used. The theme color for the welfare and care equipment zone on the right seems to be light green. Going around the back of the concept stage, you will find the corner displaying products that are currently under research and development, and these are presented in blue. So you will find the various zones by the colors used for each theme. I had not thought about it much before, but watching the booth being set up, you come to realize the "thinking" behind those making the presentation. I felt Panasonic's passion for manufacturing as I came to realize the thinking behind the exhibition of its products intended by those creating and making the presentation.

The rehearsals of the demonstrations have begun! Only a bit more to go until the H.C.R. 2007 begins!

Rehearsal of the concept stage presentation.

Mounds of cardboard boxes we saw around 15:00 have disappeared and the products were neatly displayed.

A new system kitchen has appeared in what was an empty space!

The H.C.R. will begin tomorrow! The Panasonic booth is located in East Exhibition Hall 4 at the Tokyo Big Sight. If you head towards the booth amidst by construction noises heard from all over the place, you begin to see the brand signage, "Panasonic ideas for life." But it seems a little different from the exhibitions hiro-san and mino-san have talked about in their entries. I was looking for the same stylish blue facade but the Panasonic booth at the H.C.R. has a white one (serving as the face of the booth) with a light blue brand signage. And on the balloon seen below it you will find the clearly displayed exhibition theme "People-friendly manufacturing." The design of the facade gives a clean and bright image contributing to the overall calming atmosphere better suited for the H.C.R. where welfare and care equipment as well as universal design products are introduced.

13:00 the day before the opening. The products to be exhibited are not even on display yet. The set up will continue at a very high pitch from now.

15:00. There are still many cardboard boxes about, but each member of the staff is moving busily with determination.

16:00. Set up at the welfare equipment zone/wheelchair corner. The sheet with the double circle on the floor will be used to measure the turning radius of wheelchairs.

Renovating homes to better suit home care allows people to live comfortably in their familiar homes. But, there are people who need assistance and therefore cannot live at home any longer. Even I sometimes think, "what if I can't live at home anymore?" In such a case, one of the choices you have is living in a pay nursing home.

Having said that, because the number of pay nursing homes has increase rapidly in the recent years, it is not easy to know which one to choose. Budgeting is an issue as well as the location of the facility and ease of access in terms of transportation. It is natural to wonder if you can trust these facilities with your life once you have reached old age. So I decided to attend a workshop organized by the local government on "how to choose and sign an agreement with a pay nursing home."

The workshop was absolutely full. Many of the participants seem to be over 60; they studiously took notes during the 2-hours lecture. They asked serious questions in the Q & A session that took place after the lecture such as "I don't have any family or relatives so I don't have a guarantor. Will nursing homes accept someone like me?" We also received materials describing what to look for when choosing a nursing home. It was a great learning experience.

I was looking through a magazine with a ranking of the best nursing homes in the various prefectures, and the Panasonic's pay nursing home was ranked number one in one of local municipalities. Panasonic's pay nursing home was established in 1998, and it is the oldest in the municipality. Welfare equipment employing Panasonic's advanced technologies have been implemented from early on, leading to a very high appraisal. Panasonic has been committed to care and welfare equipment suitable for institutions from long ago, but it is interesting to learn that "the oldest nursing home offers the latest care environment."

Products suitable for such facilities such as beds, wheelchairs, bathroom units, fitness equipment, etc. will be exhibited at the Panasonic booth at the H.C.R. 2007, so I hope to tell you all about them in detail.

This summer I managed to (somehow) pass the 2nd level qualifications test for the welfare living environment coordinator. Many of you may know, but a welfare living environment coordinators offer advice about how to make your home a more comfortable living environment for the elderly and people physically and mentally challenged. They help with renovations to transform people's familiar homes so that those who give and receive care may live comfortably. I am not involved in such home improvement, myself, but because I thought that it would be "useful in being able to give information about care," I began studying for the qualification test, although it had been more than 10 years since I last studied for a test like this.

From being a writer in this field, I had some vague knowledge about such renovations, such as "L-shaped handrails for bathrooms are better" and "the handrails in the hallways should be at the height of the trochanter major (the upper base of one's leg)." But studying for the test from scratch and learning about the positioning of the handrails in millimeter units, I realized anew that each and every renovation holds a significant meaning. There are a wide range of products great for such renovations at the Panasonic booth too, such as the system kitchen, handrails for bathrooms, and steps for the entrance, so I think there will be opportunities to check what I learned in books against actual products by actually getting to see them and touch them.

Many people who take the tests for becoming a welfare living environment coordinator seem to be working in the welfare and medical services or in construction. Many students and housewives take the tests as well. There are also people who, like myself, are not directing working in the field of such renovations but I hope that the this kind of thinking will become widespread across society.

When I received my acceptance certificate, I held up a fist of victory!

The Home Care and Rehabilitation Exhibition, which celebrates its 34th birthday this year is a big event for the field of home care and welfare. Last year it received approximately 130,000 people over the 3 days, and in the crowded hours of the afternoon there were people everywhere in the halls. Once again, nearly 600 companies will take part in the exhibition introducing approximately 25,000 welfare equipment (according to the Official Site).

Of course the highlights of the H.C.R. is not only the exhibitions. The symposiums, seminars, consultation corners are quite solid, and I hope to take part, too, if I have time. There are various seminars, for beginners, professionals, and welfare facility management, for people of different positions and levels. I usually check up on the seminars about welfare and home care in the newspapers, but when you have a job or housework to do, it is hard to actually get to go. Having said that, just the other day, I sent in a postcard to ask to participate in a symposium about dementia held in Tokyo. But I got a very polite letter announcing that my application was not accepted. It seems that they had received "applications out numbering capacity 7 to 1." Because there will be many seminars and lectures held during the 3-day period of the H.C.R., this may prove to be an excellent opportunity for people who want to learn more about welfare and home care.

One more thing I would like to introduce is a book sold at the exhibition titled "How to Choose and Use Welfare Products" (Published by the Health and Welfare Information Association). It carefully describes how you should choose and use for example beds, wheelchairs, and excretion supplies, with plenty of color illustrations, and it is only 100 yen!! There are professionals in the field who buy the books in bulks for their students in home care classes. (Unfortunately it is only available in Japanese.)

Here are the 2005 version and 2006 version. They seem to make revisions each year.

Two weeks to go until the H.C.R. You can find information about what will be on exhibit at the Panasonic booth on the homepage. If you take a look you will see that Panasonic will be introducing a wide range of welfare products once again, and I can't help but feel excited about the opening day.

What I am especially looking forward to seeing are products that are still under development. Last year, the upper limb rehabilitation suit caused quite a sensation; it was the talk of the papers and the news programs on TV. I had the opportunity to try it on last year in the back room, and experienced for myself how the suit helps you work to rehabilitate your muscles without burdening your joints. The person in charge of development told me that they were aiming to start sales in 2008, and I remember being thrilled about the extent to which the latest technologies have entered the field of welfare.

Some of the latest welfare equipment including the upper limb rehabilitation suit will be introduced at this year's H.C.R. orthodox welfare equipment also continues to support the everyday lives of the elderly and people who are physically challenged. Both embody "people-friendly manufacturing," Panasonic's exhibition theme. I am already excited about the welfare equipment I will encounter at this year's exhibition.

The opening day of this year's Home Care and Rehabilitation Exhibition (H.C.R.) is right around the corner! This year's exhibition, which will take place from October 3rd to 5th, will be the 34th H.C.R. It will be held again at the Tokyo Big Sight.

I had the opportunity last year to report about the Panasonic booth; I was busily engaged in reporting about the exhibition for 3 whole days. What left a very strong impression then is the sheer number of visitors and the intensity of the entire venue. There were many people in wheelchairs who came to the exhibition alone, as well as accompanied by friends and family, and I remember seeing many visitors who gazed at the exhibitions and listened to the staff's explanations with earnest expressions. The Panasonic booth last year was located in the far corner of the Tokyo Big Sight, but it had received an endless flow of visitors.

I am sure I will be able to see such a sight again this year. I hope to tell you about the atmosphere in the venue and the main features of the exhibited products until the very last day of the H.C.R.

The writer of the entries for CEATEC JAPAN 2007, hiro-san, thank you for your message! In comparison to people who have worked in the care industry for a long time, my experiences as a home helper is quite humble, but I hope to offer information that will prove to be helpful in some way to people who work in care or for families who care for their members at home. Although the fields of welfare equipment and IT & electronics differ, I am sure the intensity in the venues is a common thread. hiro-san, let us both do our best to write exciting entries!