- The industry's first and largest trade show for childcare-related product and service negotiations, Childcare Expo 2019
- At the event, the BabyTech Award Japan 2019 Grand Prize will be announced, an award ceremony will be held, and award-winning products will be exhibited
- Many nursery school and kindergarten managers, childcare professionals, related companies, and media representatives visited the event.
- About 2,000 visitors on the first day, many exhibiting childcare ICT, a genre of baby tech.
As for the event's content, more than 100 booths were set up by companies and organizations offering childcare-related products and services at the venue, where presentations and business discussions were held. In addition, the main stage at the venue featured the announcement and award ceremony for the BabyTech Award Japan 2019 Grand Prize, as well as lectures, dialogues, and panel discussions by celebrities, and in a separate room, presentations of products and services from various companies and seminars by experts were held. In this article, the BabyTech editorial team reports on our coverage of the event on Friday, June 7, the first day of the event.
Childcare Expo 2019 Reception
The "Organizer's Seminar" was always fully booked, with standing room only.
Day 1 of the Childcare Expo 2019 began with the organizer's address on the main stage. Mr. Yasushi Kajiwara of Messe Frankfurt Japan K.K. stated that the Childcare Expo 2019 is Japan's first comprehensive exhibition across "early childhood care and education-related" and that, as evidenced by the popular phrase "Nursery School Failure: Japan Must Die," there is tremendous He also noted that there is a great deal of interest in "early childhood care and education" as evidenced by the popular phrase "Nursery School Fell, Japan Must Die.
Yasushi Kajiwara, President of Messe Frankfurt Japan, delivers the organizer's speech
The opening speech was followed by Mr. Masataka Kikuchi, President of Kikuchi Gakuen. Mr. Kikuchi is famous on Shizuoka Daiichi Television as "Singing Brother" and "Well Sensei," has appeared on Mainichi Broadcasting System's "Jounetsu Tairiku" (Continent of Passion), and has given lectures throughout Japan.
Masataka Kikuchi, President of Kikuchi Gakuen, delivers opening speech
The talk began with Kikuchi's memories of when her parents' home was an unlicensed nursery school, followed by her experience of how wonderful it was to be involved in the growth of children, the impact on facility operations of the introduction of free childcare for infants, and the "independence of children" emphasized in the revised childcare guidelines.
He also warned against "childcare that pursues only the convenience of parents" and said that the purpose of childcare should be to "nurture children's ability to live". He also shared an episode of a song he wrote for a deaf child and the song he sang.
Mr. Iuchi and Mr. Ishida in conversation
The main stage also featured a discussion between Mr. Sei Iuchi, President of Rhythm School in Hokkaido, and Mr. Atsushi Ishida, Representative Director of E-Resource Center Corporation. Among the various topics discussed, one of the most impressive was the question, "What is the first step in utilizing ICT in preschools and kindergartens? Mr. Iuchi responded, "In the past, we used digital cameras to take pictures, but these days we don't use them very often, do we? I think everyone takes pictures with their smartphones. However, for some reason, nurseries still use digital cameras. The first step would be to change that to a smartphone.
He also talked about how Rhythm School has adopted cashless payment (Seven-Eleven's nanaco). He said that switching to electronic payment eliminated the need to exchange and manage coins, and that by introducing such technology, the teachers' workload was reduced and management also had the benefit of reducing overtime payment. The introduction of such technology also reduced the burden on teachers, and management also benefited from the reduction in overtime payments. In addition, a panel of experts also took part in a discussion that included, among other things, a discussion on "securing childcare workers," an issue of particular concern due to the serious shortage of such workers.
Panel discussion on the theme of "Childcare Management in a Rapidly Changing Environment
Exhibitor Presentations," where many participants eagerly took notes
In the presentation room, exhibitors gave presentations of their products and services. Due to time constraints, we were able to cover the presentations of the BabyTech Award Japan 2019 grand prize winner and the introduction of the "nanoty" information sharing system in nurseries by Sun Loft Co.
Presentation of the social experience application "Gokko Land" (Kids Star Inc.)
Social experience application "Gokko Land" (Kids Star Inc.)
The presentations by the "BabyTech Award Japan 2019" grand prize winners were short, lasting only four minutes from each company, but they all conveyed attractive products and services. The first presentation, "Gokko Land," a social experience app that allows children to experience jobs through a smartphone app, was given by well-known companies such as JAL, McDonald's, and Seven-Eleven, with key points including "thorough authenticity" and "parent-child communication that starts with 'praise. The application has been downloaded 2.9 million times. Currently, the app has been downloaded 2.9 million times and 450,000 households are using it.
Presentation by hugsafety (hugmo, Inc.)
hugsafety (hugmo inc.)
The next presentation, "hugsafety," is a monitoring device that watches over children while they sleep. HUGMO Corporation, which developed the device, started in November 2016 as an internal venture of the Softbank Group. After searching the world over for a sensor to monitor children's breathing, but failing to find a satisfactory one, the company finally partnered with BioSilver Inc. which was in the process of developing a sensor that met the required standard. As a result of joint development, they were able to create this product.
Presentation of Breast Feeding Device Breast Milk Assist Electric ProPersonal/ProPersonal+/Pigeon Switch (Pigeon Corporation)
Breast Feeder Breastfeeding Assist Electric ProPersonal/ProPersonal+/Pigeon Switch (Pigeon Corporation)
Next, the "Breast Feeding Rhythm" and the "Breast Feeding Rhythm" are developed to meet various "styles of breastfeeding" and "needs of breastfeeding". 4 types of "breastfeeding rhythms" are introduced and for the first time in Japan, an application that works with the breast pump is released. The product was developed in response to various "breastfeeding styles" and "needs for breastfeeding. Users have given positive feedback such as, "It's so easy to keep track of breastfeeding! The product has received positive feedback from users such as, "It's now easier to keep track of breastfeeding!
Presentation of Papatte Ikkoiku@Baby Notebook (Faith Store St. Co., Ltd.)
Papatte Ikkoiku @ Baby Notebook (Faith Store St. Co., Ltd.)
Next, "Papatto Ikkoiku @ Baby Notebook" is an application that allows users to manage various records such as photos and life rhythms during childcare. Particularly amazing is the function that analyzes emotions from a child's crying voice, utilizing big data from over 500,000 users. When the user plays the baby's cry on the phone, the system would guess the "baby's feeling" and tell the user "hungry 75%, sleepy 25%," etc., so that the parents could look at the information and respond appropriately. The company is also conducting joint research with the National Center for Child Health and Development, which will enable an even wider range of childcare support in the future.
IoT-type fetal monitor "delivery monitor iCTG" & perinatal telemedicine platform
Presentation of "Melody i" (Melody International Inc.)
IoT-type fetal monitor "delivery monitor iCTG" & perinatal telemedicine platform
Melody i (Melody International Inc.)
Next was the IoT-type fetal monitor "delivery monitoring device iCTG" & perinatal telemedicine platform "Melody i", a device that measures "fetal heartbeat" and "pregnant woman's belly tension" and sends the data to medical institutions via the Internet. It was the only "full wireless delivery monitoring device" in the world. This device will be a means to support safe childbirth, especially in rural areas where the number of "birthing hospitals" is decreasing, by remotely monitoring the condition of pregnant women and allowing obstetricians to give instructions. Currently, demonstration tests are being conducted at more than 50 hospitals in Japan and abroad, I was told.
Presentation of Lucmy Photo (Unifa Corporation)
Lukumi Photo (Unifa Co., Ltd.)
The final presentation, "Lucmy Photo," is a service that aims to thoroughly reduce the burden of taking photos at daycare centers and kindergartens. Although there was a strong need among parents to "know how their children are doing during childcare," taking photos had been difficult until now because daycare centers are always busy and their hands are often full during childcare. In addition, a great deal of effort is required to "check the content of the photos" to determine whether they are acceptable for public release, and to check the number of photos taken to ensure that the number of photos taken is not unfair among the children.
In response, "Lukmi-Photo" has developed an automatic camera that allows childcare workers to take pictures hands-free, making it possible to take natural photos without the burden of childcare workers. In addition, data capture and classification are automated, and AI provides support for checking photos. In the future, the use of "face recognition technology" will enable automatic confirmation of the number of photos taken for each child.
Presentation by nanoty (Sun Loft Co., Ltd.)
In a 40-minute presentation by Sunloft Corporation, the company's "nanoty" intra-park information sharing system was introduced. Using "nanoty," minutes of staff meetings can be circulated on a tablet terminal, and the system can also check who has read the minutes and confirm that e-mails have been opened, thereby minimizing information sharing. In addition, information on school events (athletic meets, field trips, etc.) can also be transferred on "nanoty," eliminating the need to store and search for information as with paper reports. In addition, photos taken with a smartphone can be attached to accident reports, making it easier to share information with those involved and more efficient to confirm the safety of staff members in the event of a disaster. Indeed, compared to doing all of this on paper and by phone, it was likely to be a significant improvement in efficiency.
BabyTech Award Japan 2019" announcement and award ceremony that was a great success.
This year's Childcare Expo 2019 also featured the announcement and award ceremony for the BabyTech Award Japan 2019, the first ceremony in Japan to honor Japanese baby tech products. Tetsuya Nagata, President of PapaSmile Inc. and Chairman of the Judging Committee, gave the opening remarks, and then Masataka Kikuchi, President of Kikuchi Gakuen, Makoto Ukai of Asahi Shimbun, and Maiko Hikosaka of Karada Note Corporation, who served on the judging committee, presented certificates and trophies to the representatives of grand prize-winning companies.
Nagata delivers opening remarks
Makoto Ukai of Asahi Shimbun and the award winners
Ms. Maiko Hikosaka of Karada Note Corporation and the award winners
Mr. Masataka Kikuchi, Chairman of the Kikuchi Gakuen Board of Trustees, and the award winners
BabyTech Award Japan 2019 Grand Prize Winners Commemorative Photo
The exhibition booths of various companies were overflowing with visitors throughout the day.
The products and services that won the "BabyTech Award Japan 2019" Grand Prize and Excellence Award were on display in the exhibition hall, attracting enthusiastic attention from visitors.
Visitors were able to compare multiple baby tech products at the same time, and many were actually able to touch the screens and devices to test the features of each.
The amount of flyers for each product distributed was more than three times what was initially expected, and there were several happy screams that had to be replenished many times during the course of the event.
Here, you can see the main ICT products for childcare, touch and compare them, and get leaflets.I feel that the convenience of the "I'm a member of the community," has become the reason for this bustling atmosphere.
Exhibition booth for the Grand Prize and Excellence Award of BabyTech Award Japan 2019
There were more than 100 booths at the Childcare Expo 2019, and it was very busy there as well. Among them were many companies entering the BabyTech Award Japan 2019. In this issue, we would like to introduce some of the baby tech products, both entries and non-entries.
Booth of social solutions, Inc.
Childcare Robot "VEVO
The booth of social solutions, which won the award for excellence in the facility management category, featured the VEVO childcare robot, which not only records children's arrival and departure by touching it with an IC chip, but also automatically refers to the day's childcare record and talks about it. VEVO will automatically refer to the day's childcare record and talk to you about it. For example, VEVO can tell parents how many hours XX-chan napped today, or that XX-chan is now able to do XX. At daycare centers where the system has actually been introduced, the response from the children has been very positive.
When you arrive at the school, touch the VEVO with your IC chip
Tripod Works, Inc. booth
Infant nap monitoring support system "Bebisapo
The "Bebisapo" infant nap monitoring support system was on display at the booth of Tripod Works, Inc. The system uses the company's image analysis technology to watch over children as they nap, with an attached light that indicates the timing for watching over the children every five minutes by color, and automatically clears the alarm when the childcare worker performs a watchful action (checking breathing, adjusting body position, etc.). The system has already been introduced in more than 50 nursery schools nationwide.
Cameras" to watch over children
Booth of wkwk, Inc.
icuco sensors and tablet devices to watch over children
At the booth of wkwk Inc. was a product called icuco, which also watches over children's nap. It can measure not only the sleeping child's posture and breathing, but also body temperature changes. What is particularly innovative is that the data measured by icuco's sensors can be sent in real time to the parents' smartphone app. Moreover, not only can the parents check on the condition of their nap-sleeping child, they can also see "how far away the childcare worker is from the child. The person in charge of the company told us that the company is now working on a proposal to use this system for "babysitting services," believing that it will lead to peace of mind for the parents who use these services.
Smartphone apps that work with icuco
Booth of Mimamorme Inc.
The company's IC tag-based attendance management system
The booth of Mimamorme Co., Ltd. featured an IC tag-based system for managing children's arrival and departure from preschool, The system automatically records the child's arrival and departure from preschool when the child passes through the gate or entrance.
These IC tags can be attached to children's bags and other items.
<After the interview
What we were able to introduce this time was only a small part of the Childcare Expo 2019, and there are many more products and services we would like to introduce (please also see "Childcare Expo 2019 Report, Part 2"). Anyway, the venue on the day of the expo was filled with more enthusiasm from the visitors than we can fully convey on paper, and we felt that baby tech, which supports children, parents, and those involved in childcare and education, is likely to grow even more in the future. The next Childcare Expo will be held in June 2020. If you are interested, please contact us at the following address.
(Secretariat of the Childcare Expo)
Messe Frankfurt Japan K.K.
〒102-0072
Akebono Sugikan 7F, 1-3-2 Iidabashi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-3262-8446
Email: info@hoikuhaku.com
Childcare Expo 2019 Official Website
http://www.hoikuhaku.com/
