Day 9: New ideas from Panasonic

Friday March 4th, 2011 by Rick van Kemenade

As we have reached the ninth day of the Satori Study Tour it was time for yet another technical excursion, but this time with a slightly more ‘free’ character. Today we visited the Panasonic Centre in the Tokyo bay area. The ride there was already very impressive, as part of the way was on the Yurikamome. This multi-carriage, driverless bus rides on a special track high in the sky, with a magnificent view of the Tokyo bay disctrict.

At 10:00 we arrived at the Panasonic Centre and were overwhelmed with a welcome message on their light matrix that was spread out over a most of the front of the building. The group was divided in two, after which we went on a journey through Pasonic’s latest and future products. There was a tour through their showroom, where they showcased their newest cameras, 3D televisions, green solutions and some excellent massage chairs. Also, there was a short film on the 152” plasma 3D Full HD Theatre television. To conclude the showroom visit, we were given an interactive demo of the ‘Life Wall’, a multimedia screen that filled an entire living room wall. The next feature was a tour through Panasonic’s ‘Eco Ideas House’. This was a real house that used various techniques (intelligent lighting and ventilation, excellent insulation and durable energy sources) to make the house carbon dioxide neutral.

In the afternoon and evening everyone was free to shape their own program. Some decided to go back to our hostel’s Asakusa district, while others stayed in the bay area for another while to enjoy a giant ferris wheel and the nearby Toyota showcase. Another group decided to get away from the hectic city life and sniff up some nature on Mount Takao. With a mere two days to go, we are counting down to the time when we leave mighty Tokyo. It is hard to believe that we have already been here for nine days. So much left to see with so little time, but the show must go on.