RFID in Japan

Yodobashi Camera, a large consumer electronics retailer, was planning to introduce a large scale RFID system at their distribution center in the city of Kawasaki. They asked HP Japan to implement the system. However, there have been concerns that the problem of radio interference could inhibit large scale deployment of UHF RFID readers. So, HP Japan did some testing and announced that things work good enough for their intended applications.

HP used 8 UHF Gen 2 readers and 32 antennae. They also used a technique for avoiding radio interference, called LBT (listen before talk). Since January 2006, it is actually mandatory to use LBT in Japan.

via nikkei, may 22, in japanese

Dai Nippon Printing (DNP) opened RFID test center in Itabashi-Ku, Tokyo. It's called "IC Tag SCM Solution Test Center." The facility can simulate most of major activities in a supply chain, using conveyer belts, paletts, and forklifts.

via lnews, may 22, in japanese

A consortium led by a Waseda University professor developed systems that utilize RFID tags to efficiently deliver machinery and material to construction sites, and thereby reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by trucks.

Usually, each construction site directly orders material etc. from manufacturers and the material is individually delivered to each construction site. This can easily cause the situation that many trucks go back and forth between construction sites and manufactures with only a small amount of stuff on board.

So, the consortium implemented a delivery network that has a component called Logistic Service (LS). LS is located between manufacturers and construction sites, and allows different construction sites to share the delivery network. In order for the sharing model to work, it is necessary to accurately track the delivery activities in real time. This is where RFID tags play a key role.

The consortium recently finished a pilot test and confirmed that they could reduce by 22% the carbon dioxide emitted from delivery trucks.

via lnews

Toppan, Y's Lab and Sato developed a management system for textile products using UHF Gen 2 tags. Since this April, a textile company called Ueyama Orimono is using this system. This is supposedly the first "real" UHF Gen2 deployment in Japan.

[Copyright 2006 TOPPAN PRINTING co.,ltd.]

viap toppan press release

Pure sake (the expensive kind) needs to be kept in the right temperature while they are transported. Failing to do so will degrade its quality. NTT Data, Toppan Forms, Nippon Access, and Hino will start a pilot test using RFID tags with integrated temperature sensors. Each bottle of Sake is tagged with RFID labels, boxes of Sake bottles are tagged with active sensor RFID tags, trucks read the temperature information from the tags and send it out to an information center using the 3G phone network. The information can be monitored in real time. Also, a the store front, consumers can check the (historical) temperature information using a kiosk terminal.

Since Pure sake is so delicate, it was difficult to transport it to somewhere far away from where it is made. This monitoring system together with a mobile fridge called E-CRB could allow for transportation of pure sake to various areas.

via Nikkei ITPRO, March 9 (in Japanese)

also: Nippon Access press release (in Japanese)