More Than Meets The Eye

If you are looking for pictures this week, you'll just have to be patient. The picture library that is easy to access down at work doesn't open from an iPad in Tokyo. They are good pictures, and I'll be boring the pants off you with them soon enough.

I was a little concerned at the plan for this morning when we were shown through the Panasonic Centre here in Tokyo. They said it wouldn't cover cameras and wasn't that why we are here? Well it turns out there is a great deal more that Panasonic want us to know about their company and the company plans, past Lumix cameras.

Not surprisingly, Panasonic are into the electricity game big. And from the looks of the transmission lines and massive display of light in this town, they are not alone. What makes them unique is that they have decided to become the world leader in energy conservation and CO2 reduction. They have more than just plans - they have built an entire smarter town that is due to start up next month with the goal of saving, generating, and storing the electricity far better than now. They are selling complete systems to new - home buyers that make and store the stuff and supply it even in the case of natural disasters. Japan has a number of these, though at least they have been spared federal politicians from Canberra.

We got sort of an Intourist lecture but we also got to see some pretty cool stuff. Vacuum insulating packs that are 1/4 the thickness of conventional foam insulation. 4K television screens and 4K laptop displays that are tough enough for a construction site. Houses that turn lights on where you move and when the light dims - indeed they can supply smart lights for councils to turn on and accompany walkers after dark.

Not every post is a winner. There was a TV screen untended to be attached over the top of a bed to provide an artificial skylight that looked like you,d either get seasick watching it or it would fall down on your nose. Likewise the Eco-car that you are supposed to be able to bring right inside your house because it has an electric motor and lithium-ion batteries. Yeah, right, and I'll have a white shag-pile rug under it...

Good tour, however, and they look to be serious about cleaning up the act, so good on them. Tomorrow we go to the lens factory on the Bullet Train way up-country. I'll keep you posted.