December 2008 | Vol 2 | No 8

The

Backboneof JapaneseIndustry

CONTENTS

18 G20 Summit

4 japanese industry

prime minister

Special feature

Accounting for some 99% of Japan’s compa-

Prime Minister Taro Asonies, small and medium enterprises form thejoined other leaders tobackbone of Japanese industry and the country’s

discuss combating the

economy. With their world-class technologies andfinancial crisis at the G20

innovative ideas, these enterprises constitute theSummit held November

source of Japan’s global competitiveness.

14 to 15 in Washington
D.C.

20

prime minister

APEC economic leaders’ meeting

Prime Minister Aso
traveled to Peru on
November 21 to attend
the APEC Economic
Leaders’ Meeting,where he met withvarious world leaders.

22 Daido Moriyama
topicsPhotographer Daido
SEIYA KAWAMOTO

on the cover: Yamashita Kogyosho Co., Ltd. sheet metal

worker Jiro Kunimura fine tunes a part for a Shinkansen car
using a hammer.

Moriyama has wandered
the world, shooting
dynamic cityscapesin his trademark raw
black-and-white style.

Edited and Published by the Cabinet Office, Government of JapanThe views expressed in this magazine by interviewees or contributors do notnecessarily represent the views of the Cabinet Office or the Government.

December 2008 | Vol 2 | No 8

24 History of Gadgetry 28 The World of Itasha
topics

topicsIn October of this year,

Itasha have sped

the National Museum

onto the otaku cultureof Nature and Science

scene in Japan. Takelaunched a new systema look inside for more

for preserving historicallyon this “painful” evolu-

important gadgets andtion of otaku-ness.

devices from Japan.

26 Dual Mode Vehicle

30 LIFE IN JAPANThe world’s first dual-

Introducing the efforts

mode vehicle (DMV),
capable of running onof Japan tourism expert
and “YOKOSO! JAPAN”

both road and rail, has

Ambassador Mao Danq-been produced by Hok-ing, who discusses what

kaido Railway Company

Chinese tourists enjoy(JR Hokkaido).

when visiting Japan.

cutting edge

32 Daisetsuzan
natureThe Daisetsuzan cluster of volcanoes
in central Hokkaido features toweringpeaks, blanketed in virgin conifer forests
teeming with ecological diversity.

tourism

The

Backboneof JapaneseIndustry
Small and medium
enterprises accountfor some 99% ofJapan’s companies,
forming the backbone of Japaneseindustry and thecountry’s economy.
Among these small
and medium enterprises are those withthe world’s highest
technological levels,and others that create new added value
with their innovativeideas, and it is theseenterprises that are
the source of Japan’s
global competitiveness. This month, we
look at some of theseunsung heroes, andpromising players ofJapanese industry.
photo: A Syoei Co.,Ltd craftsman

hoists a giant cam for use on a
8150-unit container ship. With
its superior heat treatment
technology, Syoei commands a
60% share of the global market
for this type of cam.
special featurehans sautter



aflo

seiya kawamoto

GcXp&Jkfgj_fikm`[\f

The Face of the Bullet Train
The shinkansen, or “bullet train” as it is known over-body structure of the front of most major models

seas, is the super express train that made Japan’sof the shinkansen from the 0 Series to the 700

railway technology known to the world when it

Series. It has also worked on express trains as welldebuted in 1964. One of its most distinctive fea-

as monorails and experimental cars for MAGLEV

tures is the elongated “forehead” at the front of all

trains, and receives orders for train cars from places

the main models, many of which were produced by

as far afield as China, Taiwan, Dubai, Singapore andartisans working for the same company.

South Korea.

Yamashita Kogyosho Co., Ltd. is a small urban

There are very few companies in the world withfactory in Kudamatsu City, an industrial city in Yama-

sheet metal beating skills that can equal the capabil-guchi Prefecture. The company has worked on theities of Yamashita Kogyosho. Aluminium sheets just



The

Backboneof JapaneseIndustry

FACING ABOVE: A part of the face of the

Shinkansen 700 series manufactured by
Yamashita Kogyosho Co., Ltd.
facing BELOW: The blue part on the faceof the shinkansen incicates the component
being produced in the above photo.
THIS PAGE: The interior parts of a shinkansen

manufactured by Yamashita Kogyosho.

a few millimeters thick are hammered into shapeusing cutting machinery for the process of shaving

over an anvil. The completed parts are then weldedaway parts of a metal body, but the manual skills of

together to produce the elegant, streamlined shape

the company’s workers come into their own for veryof the leading car.

fine linings on interior parts or for complex shapes.

“You can tell by the sound of the hammer on the

The president of the company himseif, Kiyoto

metal if there is any distortion in the shape,” says

Yamashita, was himself originally an outstanding

Jiro Kunimura, a sheet metal worker who is also one

automobile sheet metal worker. Hitachi, Ltd., oneof the company’s founding members. “There is farof the companies contracted to make the shink-

more to the job than meets the eye, and I reckon

ansen cars, appreciated his ability and establishedit takes a good ten years before you are anywhere

Yamashita Kogyosho in 1963 to manufacture thenear mastering it.”shinkansen. “It feels like I have always lived with the

In recent years, the industry has seen a shift toshinkansen,” Yamashita says.
Cosmetic Sponges

C

Chanel, Christian Dior, Estée Lauder — all cosmetics

sponge for cushions and similar applications. In thebrands beloved by women the world over. While it is1960s, when Japan was experiencing a period of

not well known, these and other leading cosmetics

rapid economic growth, the cosmetics industry also

manufacturers share something in common: theysaw dramatic growth. The sponges used at the time

all use cosmetic sponges made by Yukigaya Chemi-

to apply foundation were made of natural rubber,cal Industry Co., Ltd., a company based in Tokyo’s

and because they were not very resistant to oils,

Ota Ward. Sponges for applying foundation or otherthey suffered from rapid deterioration.

types of cosmetics need to have different textures,

Yukigaya set out to develop a sponge that wasdensities and shapes depending on which cos-

not only resistant to oils but also felt pleasant to themetics they are used for. Yukigaya is able to maketouch, finally perfecting a new NBR sponge material

approximately 1,000 different types of sponge toin 1976. Under the brand name Yukilon, the newmeet the most exacting needs of its clients, and the

sponge rapidly began to dominate the Japanesecompany now boasts a roughly 70% share of themarket, achieving an 80% share by 1981. Yuki-

world market in cosmetic sponges.

gaya started dealing with the top cosmetics brands

Yukigaya was founded in 1951, manufacturingoverseas at the beginning of the 1980s, eventuallyphotos: KEIZO OKUBO

FACING: Sponges are produced by making the base material

achieving its current share of the world market.
“We have never specifically gone after the benefits of being a big company,” says company President Mitsuhiko Sakamoto. “Since our company was
founded, we have inherited the venture spirit of not
wanting to make the same things as everyone else.

into a foam, which is then solidified and steamed. Here,a sponge is being taken from the mold after the steaming
process is complete.
CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER LEFT: Sponges are checked after thesteaming process. • The completion of the steaming processof the raw materials. • Completed sponges. • Individual
sponges are cut out from a large sheet by machine.
BELOW: During the development stage, air tightness and otherfactors are checked with an electron microscope.

We want to make things that shine with a light you
cannot find elsewhere.”
The company has completed the long-awaited
development of a new cosmetic sponge called Tera
Venus, which will make its world debut next spring.
It probably won’t take long for this new sponge tohelp Yukigaya dominate the world market again.
@ On the internet
http://www.yukilon.co.jp/index.html
KEIZO OKUBO

T

Tsubame City in Niigata Prefecture is well known
throughout Japan as one of the country’s biggest
producers of metalwork products. Metalworkers andcompanies in Tsubame City have set up a Polishers’ Syndicate, sharing orders among each other andtraining their eventual successors.
There are nearly 600 metalwork businesses in the
Tsubame region. One of these, Kobayashi Kengyo,
has garnered an astounding degree of trust amongsuch major Japanese companies as Sony, Panasonicand Honda, which all maintain that for metal grinding or polishing, Kobayashi Kengyo is the place togo. Kobayashi Kengyo leapt to national fame withits manufacture of metal backs for the iPod portablemusic player released in 2001 by Apple, Inc. The
iPod backs are polished to mirror smoothness. At thetime the iPod was released, manufacture was contracted to Toyo Rikagaku Kenkyusho Co., Ltd. However, the manufacturing process called for a highKengyo found itself facing a crisis. Kobayashi madelevel of skill, and after a series of failures Kobayashi

a bold decision: the company would use the well-

Kengyo was asked to take over. Within just one week,

honed manual skills of its artisans, without relying

Kobayashi Kengyo was manufacturing products

on machines. “We gave away four of our five auto-

good enough to sell. Over the ensuing four years

matic polishing machines to companies in the sameor so, Kobayashi Kengyo and other metal polishingline of business, and made a declaration that wecompanies from Tsubame City worked on polishingwould take work on the basis of our technical skills,”

the iPod, and their combined technical strength was

he explains. The company proactively tackled jobs

highly acclaimed both in Japan and overseas.

polishing new materials which were hard to work

Company President Kazuo Kobayashi first started

with and which other companies shied away from.

polishing metal 46 years ago. “No matter how dif-

As a result, orders began to flow in steadily fromficult the material is to polish, I never give up on it,”major electrical appliance manufacturers.

he says with pride. The turning point for his company

Kobayashi concludes,”This is just a small factory

came ten years ago, when the big jobs the company

but we have technical strengths that major manu-

had previously worked on dried up, and Kobayashi

facturers don’t have.”

10

The

Backboneof JapaneseIndustry

left: A polishing cloth called

Polished Performers

a “buff” is rotated at highspeed and pressed against
the parts to be polished.
Experienced polishers
are able to detect surface
irregularities of just a few
dozen microns by touch.
Kobayashi Kengyo polishes
parts for applications
ranging from computers
to audio devices.
below (l to R): Products

processed by the Polishers’
Syndicate include cutlery,mugs, reusable Eco
Cups and i-pods.

11

12

photos: HANS SAUTTERTheBackboneof JapaneseIndustry

T

Precision Parts

There is currently great interest in the use of mag-ies of digital cameras.

nesium, a raw material that combines lightness and“Unlike major corporations, small and medium

strength. It has the advantage of being lighter thanenterprises just don’t have the capacity to run their

aluminium yet nearly ten times stronger than plastic.

own research laboratories,” says ARRK Okayama

However, magnesium has only been put to practical

President Kazushi Yashiki. “The cooperation among

use in the last few years because of the problems

industry, academia and government is extremely sig-

associated with casting it. First, liquid magnesium

nificant in terms of compensating for this weakness

has poor fluidity. This means that when molten mag-of smaller companies.”

nesium is poured into a cast, it is difficult to make it

ARRK Okayama was established in 1973 as areach every corner of the mold. A further weakness

subcontractor making precision parts for Minolta

is that the surface is not uniform,

cameras. It carried out integrated

but tends instead to be scratchy.

manufacturing that included the

ARRK Okayama Co., Ltd., a preci-

processing of parts, coating andsion machinery parts manufacturer,

assembly. The company made use

has managed to overcome these dif-of the expertise it acquired in thisficulties through cooperation among

way by starting to manufacture pre-industry, academia and government.

cision parts for products other than

By collaborating with researchers

cameras, and in 2005 it became afrom Okayama Prefectural Univer-

member of ARRK group providing

sity who specialize in flowing analy-

product development support. It

sis and with Okayama Industrial

has grown into a parts manufacturer

Research Institute, ARRK Okayama

capable of accepting any order, no

has succeeded in achieving a breakthrough thatmatter how demanding, from major corporations.

would have been impossible for a company acting

ARRK Okayama receives many orders for the sort ofon its own. It now uses magnesium in applications

new product parts that create the very latest value-such as the housing of mobile phones and the bod-

added goods such as mobile telephone housings

facing (top): Components made of magnesium

fitted with large-screen LCD monitors. The company

used in the bodies of mobile phones.

has steadily increased its technological strength byfacing (bot tom): Assembling a component for the arm

managing to overcome the demands required byof a robot that will be used to transport goods. One
of ARRK Okayama’s major attributes is the great caretaken throughout the entire production process.
inset: Components completed just two weeks after

receiving the three-dimensional data for the order.

these difficult orders one by one. It is this accumulation of technical strength that is the backbone ofJapanese manufacturing.
13

I

Color Universal Design

Itoh Optical Industrial Co., Ltd., a company based

product came when company President Hiroshi Itohin Aichi Prefecture, is the first company in Japan tomet Professor Shigeki Nakauchi of Toyohashi Uni-

make a practical application of coatings for glassversity of Technology, who researches how people

lenses. The company drew an enthusiastic response

see colors. The Variantor took shape as a productwith the release in April last year of the Variantor

through cooperation between industry and aca-

(photo bottom), a special filter that allows anyone

demia : Toyohashi University of Technology put for-to experience the world seen by people with color

ward the theory on the basis of which Itoh Opticalvision deficiencies.

Industrial developed the product. The performance

The initial impetus for the development of thiswas then measured and evaluated at Kochi University of Technology.
“There is more important information mounted
on colored backgrounds than most people realize,
such as in text books, signs, or graphs,” says Kanae
Miyazawa, a member of the Technology Division of
Itoh Optical Industrial. “WIth the Variantor, people
with normal vision can understand how this information appears to color-deficient people, making
Color Universal Design possible.”

photos: KEIZO OKUBO

photo, top: The Variantor is made by

14

creating a metal film on the lens which alters
the refractive index of the lens.

I

Senior PowerIn response to the many workers recently retired ortance as Kohda’s development of diaphragm valves

about to retire, who seek to continue contributing

for semiconductor gas was lagging behind otherat the workplace, the Small and Medium Enterprisecompanies. With Yoshida’s help, the company suc-

Agency has established a program which uses theceeded in developing and patenting three new prod-

experience of such workers. The Reactivated Worker

ucts, including a diaphragm valve. Company presi-

Support Program, which started this year, registers

dent Naotaro Kohda was full of praise for Yoshida’s

those who are about to or have already retired fromcontribution, saying, “He developed new products

the workforce, and matches their skills to the diverse

for us with the kind of ideas that people working

needs of small and medium enterprises. At present

solely in the valve industry could not.”approximately 8,000 people are registered.
Takuo Yoshida is one such person, providing support based on 40 years of experience in technology
and product development working at NEC, one ofJapan’s leading electronics manufacturers. “I had too
much energy to retire,” says Yoshida.
He currently offers advice to Kohda Co., which
designs and manufactures valves for various types

Photos: Satoshi Kawaiof containers. Yoshida was asked to provide assis-

THIS Photo: At Kohda Co., Yoshida provides support in areas such as productdevelopment and staff education.
above: This new valve, with ultra smoothscrewing capability, was created thanks
to an idea put forward by Yoshida.
15

The Quest for Manufacturing Excellence

B

Based in Okayama Prefecture, Syoei Co., Ltd. enjoys

treatment, cutting, and surface grinding. Company

a 60% share of the global market for cams used in

President Setsuzo Tsujii says that the key to thisthe manufacture of ship engines. The most notable

technological prowess is the craftsman’s well-honed

feature of ship engines is their massive size. Tankers

sense of exactly how a product should turn out.

weighing more than 20 million tons require engines“For example, craftsmen watch over the heatable to generate over 100,000 horsepower. The

treatment process for almost 60 hours. Time andcams used in these giant engines need to be incred-time again during that period, they pull out test

ibly precise and durable in order to keep repeating

pieces and make judgments on the process. In orderthe movements required through an operational life

to do this, they need the same type of craftsman’sof over 20 years.

skill as that possessed by swordsmiths and potters.

Syoei’s strength is its extremely high level ofThe bottom line is that even when the entire pro-expertise and technologies in the areas of heatcess is conducted according to a computer program,

16

HANS SAUTTERTheBackboneof JapaneseIndustry

things don’t always go exactly to plan. So experienceis essential to the process and in determining thequality of the finished product.”
Syoei has applied these same highly refined skillsin the manufacture of fuel injection devices for thecomputerized engines of ships, gradually creating acore product that serves as an alternative to cams.
Working in the same manner as in computerizedengines in automobiles, these devices make delicate adjustments in fuel injection possible beyond
what can be achieved with a cam. To realize thisdevelopment, Syoei makes use of a broad networkof small and medium enterprises. Collaboration with
Aichi Prefecture-based company Aico, which carries
THIS Photo: One stage of the manufacturing

process for a fuel injection device to be used
in a computerized engine. This kind of fuelinjection device is Syoei’s next-generationcore product.

out the precision processing of blocks, and the Taniguchi Heat Treatment Co., Ltd. in Ehime Prefecture,
which conducts surface heat treatments, led to themutual strengths of the companies being brought
together to provide solutions to technological challenges.
When walking around the Syoei factory, it is clearthat the craftsmen take great pride in their creations.
Perhaps this is the secret that lies behind the quality
suggested by the words “Made in Japan.”above & right: A fuel injection device for the computerizedengines of ships such as the ship in the above photo. By making use of a system which links companies from across Japan,
this hi-tech product integrates the technologies of three small
and medium enterprises based in diverse locations.
17photos: Jiji

prime minister

Aso Attends

G20 Summit
The Summit on Financial Markets and theWorld Economy was held on November 14-15
in Washington D.C. in order to explore meansof international cooperation to counter thefinancial crisis that is spreading on a global
scale. The summit was attended by the leaders of the Group of Twenty, which includes
Japan, the United States, a number of European countries as well as emerging economies
such as China and India.
Prior to the summit, Prime Minister Taro
Aso held bilateral talks with President Luiz
18

Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil, Prime Minister
Gordon Brown of the U.K, and President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia.
At the working dinner on November 14,
Prime Minister Aso indicated the need tomake the role of the International Monetary
Fund (IMF) in combating the financial crisis
one that well matches the needs of the newera. He stressed the need to expand the Fund's
assistance to emerging economies as well as
medium and small states and to strengthen its
early-warning function. He stated that Japanfacing: A view of the G20 Summit. • above: World leaders

attending the G20 Summit. •Below: Prime Minister Aso at the G20 Summit.

photos: JIJI

was ready to lend up to $100 billion to theInternational Monetary Fund (IMF) to help it
meet the first of these objectives.
At the plenary session on November 15,
G20 leaders issued a declaration stating interalia their intention to take all necessary measures to stabilize the financial system and theneed to strengthen the IMF's role in responding to crises. The working lunch that followed

focused on free trade and investment. Against
the backdrop of the current world economic
situation, leaders expressed their resolve toreject protectionism and to strive to reachagreement this year on modalities for a successful conclusion to the Doha Development
Agenda of the World Trade Organisation.
At a press conference held after the closeof the summit, Prime Minister Aso said, “Wemust translate the results of this summit into
concrete action. I will continue to exercise
leadership so as to put in place an international economic system that responds to thechallenges posed by the new world economy
and financial markets.” He expressed Japan’s
intention to utilize its experience gained inovercoming the crisis which followed the collapse of its economic bubble in the 1990's, andto take the lead in building a new framework.
@ On the internet
http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/asophoto/2008/11/14kinyusummit_e.html
http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/asophoto/2008/11/15kinyusummit_e.html

19

prime minister

ASO ATTENDS APEC ECONOMICLEADERS’ MEETING
Prime Minister Taro Aso travelled to Lima, thePeruvian capital on November 21 to attend theAsia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
Economic Leaders’ Meeting. Upon arrival, heheld bilateral talks with President Nguyen
Minh Triet of Vietnam and President Alan
García Pérez of Peru.On November 22, Prime
Minister Aso held talks with U.S. President
George W. Bush, after which the two werejoined by President Lee Myung-Bak of the
Republic of Korea (ROK) for a trilateral JapanUS-ROK summit meeting. Prime Minister Aso
20

subsequently attended the Leaders’ retreat I of
the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, where
he discussed with other leaders the international financial crisis, the promotion of foodand energy security, and the WTO Doha Development Agenda negotiations. With regard tointernational economic and financial issues
in general, he noted the importance of carrying out the concrete actions agreed at the G20
Summit held in Washington, D.C. the previous
week, and of APEC to deal with the financial
crisis. Following the Leaders’ retreat I, Primecabinet public relations officefacing: Prime Minister Aso together with other lead-ers in the APEC summit commemorative photograph.
above: Prime Minister Aso reflects on the summit at
JIJI

Minister Aso held talks with President Álvaro
Uribe Vélez of Colombia, and President Dmitry Anatelyevich Medvedev of Russia andPresident Hu Jintao of China.
On November 23, Prime Minister Aso heldtalks with President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa of Mexico. Subsequently, he attended theLeaders’ retreat II, where he discussed the promotion of global economic integration, corporate social responsibility, climate change
issues and human security with the otherleaders. On the climate change issue, he called
for countries around the world, including the
APEC economies, to share the goal of reducing global greenhouse gas emissions by at least
half by 2050, as was agreed at the G8 Hokkaido
Toyako Summit. Afterwards, a leaders’ decla-a press conference for the Japanese and internationalpress following the summit.

ration, which calls for the promotion of global
economic integration and countermeasuresagainst global warming, was adopted, bringing the APEC summit to its conclusion.
Prime Minister Aso then held a press conference at which he indicated Japan’s agreement with the World Bank jointly to establish
a US$3 billion fund to inject capital into banks
in developing countries and emerging economies. He said, “For its part, Japan must fulfill
its responsibility to the international community by fully implementing the initiatives it
has announced and restoring its economy on
the growth track”.
@ On the internet
http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/asophoto/2008/11/21apec_e.html
http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/asophoto/2008/11/22apec_e.html
http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/asophoto/2008/11/23apec_e.html
21

topicsD

Daido Moriyama is a photographer who has always

recalls Morimoto. “And that we shoot Tokyo. But it’s

wandered the world’s roads. Shinjuku, Paris and New

not like I felt it was my mission to capture Tokyo on

York — wherever Moriyama’s travels take him, thefilm. Lately when I’ve been out and about in Tokyo

cityscapes he etches in black and white are invari-

doing things, I’ve stumbled on many spots I didn’t

ably hip, trashy and, above all, sexy. Typical subjects

know about. When I glimpse an unknown place, I

include flashing neon, garish posters, and women.

get antsy. I feel kind of impatient. It’s a funny way of

Roaming the backstreets with a compact camera in

putting it, I know, but I feel jealous of that spot.”

hand, he sometimes shoots without even using theAt 70, Moriyama still stands in the street like aviewfinder. For his latest exhibition at the Museum

stray dog or a menacing punk from one of his pho-of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, he took his camera totos; where does his tireless energy for photography

São Paulo in Brazil, but his photographic style is con-come from?

stant. “Whether I am in Japan or overseas, I always“I’ve lived a reckless life and never looked after

want to photograph chaotic city scenes where peo-

my health,” answers Moriyama with a chuckle. “Butple, objects and buildings are all jumbled together,”I’ve got tough insides. And a photographer lives bysays Moriyama.

his gut! I’m half joking, but it’s important to always

From the 1980s onward Moriyama could generally

be true to your current appetites. Once a photogra-

be found clicking the shutter in cities overseas, butpher stops being hungry, it’s all over.”these days he feels he most wants to take pictures

facing: Moriyama at an exhibition of his work, bye-byein Tokyo. “I always had the thought that New York-polaroid, currently showing at Taka Ishii Gallery in Tokyo.

~o Paulo | 2008 | B/W print
Daido Moriyama | Sa

22

Courtesy of Taka Ishii Gallery

ers shoot New York and Parisians photograph Paris,”

Daido Moriyama | Misawa | 1970 | B/W print

Tadashi Okochi

Daido Moriyama
ON THE ROAD

Born in Osaka in 1938, Moriyama’s unique style rocked theworld of photography in the
60s and 70s. In 1999, the San
Francisco Museum of Modern
Art hosted an exhibition ofMoriyama’s work. In 2003, theFondation Cartier pour l’art
contemporain staged anothersolo exhibition. Through January
12 his work can be seen in the
Daido Moriyama and Miguel Rio
Branco Photographic Exhibition:
A Quiet Gaze, Echoing Worlds, at
the Museum of Contemporary
Art, Tokyo.

@ On the internet@ On the internet

http://www.mot-art-museum.jp/english
http://www.mot-art-museum.jp/english
http://www.moriyamadaido.com http://www.moriyamadaido.com
23

24This and Facing (Center): Koji Fukunaga • facing ( left ) : Communications Museum collection

topicsGadgetry

History ofFacing: The Osaka University vacuum tube electronic calculator • Left: The TYK wireless telephone, a world-first •Center: Sharp Corporation’s Compet electronic desk calculator • Right: Victor Company’s VHS home video player

I

In October of this year, the National Museum ofdawn of Japanese computing. Building this device

Nature and Science launched a new system for reg-in the 1950s put the university at the forefront of

istering historically significant items in the science

computer development in Japan and the world.

and technology field. The system will ensure that

Launched in 1964, Sharp Corporation’s Com-devices of historical importance and gadgets with apet electronic desk calculator was the world’s firstmajor impact on society, culture or everyday life are

all-transistor-diode calculating machine. This prod-

preserved for future generations. Following a sur-uct was the precursor of light, compact calculators

vey encompassing all of Japan’s past science andfor the masses. The HR-3300 VHS home video

technology efforts, the first round of registrations

launched by Victor Company of Japan in 1976 wasselected 23 items to be preserved for posterity.

the first-ever VHS-format video device. VHS subse-

Here are a few examples.

quently became the global standard, and total pro-

The TYK wireless telephone, now in the Com-duction in 2006 exceeded 900 million units. This

munications Museum collection in Tokyo, was ainvention sparked the popularization of home video,

world-first. After Marconi invented the wirelesschanging the lives of people the world over.

telegraph, there was fierce international competi-

Looking back at these items, now preservedtion to develop a wireless telephone, and Japanese

as part of our technological heritage, is bound toinventors succeeded in doing so around 1913. An

prompt a sense of nostalgia. These milestones on

eagerly-awaited invention in its day, this device has

the road to scientific progress will help to pave aa well-deserved place in history. The Osaka Univer-path to the technologies of the future.

sity vacuum tube electronic calculator, held by theMuseum of Osaka University, was developed at the@ On the internet
http://www.kahaku.go.jp/english/
25

Cut ting Edge

Double

the

Fun

I

Is it a bus or is it a train? The world’s first dual-mode

was that the technology of the time couldn’t cope

vehicle (DMV), capable of running on both roadwith the mode change from road to rail,” explains

and rail, has been produced by Hokkaido Railway

Toshio Nanba, head of JR Hokkaido’s DMV Center.

Company (JR Hokkaido). The development of such

“Mode change on these early dual-purpose road/dual-purpose vehicles has a surprisingly long history.

rail vehicles took four to eight minutes. At that rate,

Prototypes were built in Britain, Germany and otherit was much quicker for passengers to disembark

places starting around 75 years ago, but none ofand transfer to another vehicle. By teaming the lat-them ever entered into service.

est hydraulic technology with electronic control, we“The main reason they never became a reality
26

reduced the time required for mode change to just

Photos: Hans Sautter

Above: The DMV running on rails. The first dual-purpose

road/rail vehicle was developed some 75 years ago in
Britain, but it never entered into service. Until the DMV wasdeveloped, such vehicles remained a dream.
Facing: The DMV is driven by rubber tires on the rear of thevehicle. When it runs on rails, the front tires are retracted.

platform, purchase, fuel and maintenance costs arelower than for conventional trains.
The DMV is currently operating on a trial basis in

10 to 15 seconds. This was the deciding factor in

Hokkaido. In approximately three years time, oncebringing the DMV into service.”the seating capacity of the DMV has been increased

A low operating cost is a key attribute of the DMV.

from the current 16 to more than 25, carriage-cou-

Since it runs on existing rails and roads, there is nopling issues are resolved and the safety of operatingneed for investment in expensive infrastructure.

systems are improved, JR Hokkaido aims to launchMoreover, because the DMV is based on a microbus

the DMV into full-time service.
27

topics

28

The

ItashaWorldof

A new variant of otaku culture has sped onto

cialty magazines such as Itasha Road and Itasha

the scene in Japan: the itasha. Itasha are cars that

Graphics. The ItaG Festival exhibition was held in

have their bodies decorated with pictures of charac-

Odaiba this November, attracting approximately 400

ters from manga, anime or video games. The word

itasha from around the country. Images of popular

itasha is a combination of the Japanese words itaicharacters, such as Miku Hatsune, Haruhi Suzumiya(painful) and sha (vehicle). Itai here means pain-

and Rozen Maiden, adorned all types of vehicles,

ful as in “painfully embarrassing” because the car

including sports cars, sedans and trucks. Cut-out

stands out when being driven on the road. The term

stickers and air-brushed images appear on theconnotes self-mockery and is also a pun on the

hoods, doors and rear windows. Some car owners

word for Italian cars, similarly abbreviated in Japa-

take it so far as to decorate the interior with printed

nese as “itasha.”cushions or figurines.

Photos: Hans Sautter

Customized itasha began to appear when otaku“Normally the aim of customizing a vehicle toculture first started to gain popularity around 2000.

enhance performance, but with itasha making the

In recent years, the itasha movement has enjoyed acharacter stand out is the most important thing,”

subdued upswing in popularity, with the creation of

explains an ItaG Festival staff member. “It is a modean Internet community and the publication of spe-of otaku of culture that was initially driven totally by

Exhibition Photos: Scores of itasha gathered for the ItaG

the individuals involved, but we want to increase its

Festival. The passion felt by the vehicle owners for theirchosen characters is clear for all to see.

momentum through this type of event.”
29

Mao

Danqing
WriterY o k o s o J a pa n ! A m b a s s a d o r

Mao guides
actress andnovelist Tian
Yuan, who has
many fans among
younger Chinese,
near Osaka’s
newest hot-spot,
Herbis Plaza in
Nishi-Umeda.

Photo: satoshi kawai

toURISM

C

Chinese-born Mao
Danqing developed an interest inJapanese culture
when he was astudent at Peking
University. Since
coming to Japan in
1987, he has traveled extensively
around the country
and contributed
articles to Chinese
travel magazines. He
has also introduced
Japanese culture to
Chinese audiencesin other ways, suchas by publishing acollection of essays
on Japan.

China is currently experiencing an unprecedented
boom in overseas travel. High-quality travel magazines have been launched in quick succession overthe last few years and their sales are growing. The
publishers who produce these magazines send
writers and photographers off to various countries
to conduct research and interviews, and they print
well-informed tourist information. Articles on Japan,
for example, feature out-of-the-way tourist spots,
such as Sado Island and Okinawa. Travel writers
discover the charms of such places for themselvesand create articles about them. Moreover, travel
magazines are not the only source of information:
brochures, guidebooks and other publications offer
mountains of information on overseas travel.
Given this surplus of information, there is no point
presenting the attractions of Japanese travel in an
ordinary way. Chinese readers interested in overseas
travel seek information that has added value at its
core. One of the ways I communicate information
about Japan is to tell Chinese opinion-leaders about
its appeal, so that people can learn more about Japanthrough the words of such influential figures. I haveinvited Chinese artists including the movie actress
Zhang Ziyi, China’s most famous writer Mo Yan, andPostmen in the Mountains director Huo Jianqi toJapan to see tourist destinations for themselves.
Recently I showed fast-rising actress and novelist
Tian Yuan around Osaka’s trendiest shopping mall.
Tian enjoys enormous popularity among the younger
generation, so it will be fascinating to see what she
has to say about the lure of Japan.

A Wider Focus
The Tourism Agency is
working to support an
initiative to create “tourism regions” that link multiple tourist areas together
in way that makes it easier for both overseas anddomestic tourists to enjoy the region for a period ofat least three days and two nights.
This project will strive to boost the allure ofthese tourism regions to entice tourists to visit on
extended stays. This will be accomplished through abetter offering of accommodation plans and activities to experience what these places have to offer
through collaboration among municipalities, tourism associations, accommodation facilities, entities
in charge of transportation, local residents and individuals involved in agriculture, forestry and fisheries,
as well as commerce and industry. Currently, such
efforts are underway to prepare 16 tourism regions
around Japan.
These monthly YO KOSO! JAPAN Ambassador
articles serve to promote tourism by publicizing
efforts to increase the number of tourists coming toJapan, while outlining these ambassadors’ activities
showcases the allure of travel to Japan.
http://www.japantravelinfo.com/top/index.php
http://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/en/

31

naturePristine

AlpineEnvironment

Daisetsuzan refers to the cluster of
volcanoes located in central Hokkaido.
Dominated by Hokkaido’s highest peak,
Mt. Asahi, which towers to a heightof 2,290 meters, the group includes
numerous mountains rising over 2,000
meters. Daisetsuzan’s lower reaches
are blanketed in virgin conifer forests,
which highlight the region’s natural
alpine beauty. Remaining untouched tothis very day, these mountains are home
to some 240 species of alpine flora—40
percent of Japan’s total—as well as relict
species of rabbits and butterflies.

left: Japan’s largest national park, Daisetsuzan is valued by nature-lovers • ABOVE: A larch forest in spring.
33

34

Asahi, the highest peak in the
Daisetsuzan range, offers a truly
magnificent vista of the winterexpanses of Hokkaido.
far left: The masutake

photos: MINORU OKUDA

top left: The summit of Mt.

mushroom is named for its color,which resembles that of a trout,or masu, in Japanese.
left: The fall hues of trees on thelower reaches of Mt. Asahi .
top right: Once into November,the larch forests are transformed
into silvery landscapes.
right: A sea of trees at

Daisetsuzan is shrouded in mist
one morning in early summer.
35

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