For Satoshi Toi's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Software that helps people decide what to wear or even what to eat are among the latest examples of artificial intelligence infiltrating everyday life. For those seeking an AI perspective on fashion, Colorful Board Inc.'s Sensy app for smartphones seeks to determine the optimum outfit ...
Health-conscious consumers are driving demand for strains of vegetables with enhanced nutritional qualities, and growers are eager to comply. So-called "functional vegetables" can command higher prices than ordinary strains, and farmers are trying to increase the range of these foods they offer. Dole Japan Inc. has ...
Great news for "affishoenados." Picky shoe shoppers can now design their own dream footwear using services that let them choose colors and materials. Kibera, which operates outlets mainly in Tokyo, sells women's shoes for ¥9,900 plus tax which are fully customizable for shape and color. A ...
From offering free lunches as performance incentives to promoting exchanges across hierarchical lines, companies are starting to see their cafeterias as more than just a place where employees can grab a meal. Yahoo Japan Corp. introduced in May a unique system in which its ¥500 ...
Car owners are looking to color wrapping to breathe new excitement into their rides. One of them is a 55-year-old executive at a Tokyo real estate company. He hired YMG1 Co. in May to change the colors of his three imported cars. His silver Mercedes-Benz ...
Food companies are increasingly adopting programs to recycle waste leftover from the production process. Starbucks Coffee Japan Ltd. launched a "food recycle loop" system in March to recycle its coffee grounds into compost to grow vegetables and feed cows. The vegetables grown and milk produced ...
Japan's golf industry, which is still largely dependent on seniors and corporate outings, is changing in the face of the aging population and stiffer competition from other leisure activities. To attract younger players, some golf clubs are opening schools for children or adding facilities where ...
How do you get children to eat more vegetables? The Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association organized courses in Tokyo recently for youngsters aged 5 to 9 in which trained chefs tried to help them overcome their yuck instinct. It seemed to work. "I'm becoming interested in vegetables," ...
Light-emitting-diode bulbs are becoming a new tool for customizing home or office lighting environments. In November last year, Naomi Watanabe, who teaches at an elementary school in the evenings, installed a Panasonic Corp. LED ceiling light system in her classroom at a private home in ...
At the Ruriden mausoleum in Tokyo, families can visit their deceased loved ones in a dreamlike atmosphere created by light-emitting diodes and advanced technologies. On the walls of the facility, managed by Kokoku Temple, are a total of 2,046 small Buddhist statues made of glass ...
