Exhibition/event sponsors

BabyTech®️ Award Japan 2021 Grand Prize, Award of Excellence and Special Award Winner List

Breastfeeding and Feeding Section

first prize

NAVITIME for BABY (NaviTime Japan Inc.)

This is a web application for childcare users of NAVITIME, a navigation application. It shows the best route according to the means of transportation such as "pram", "carrying a baby carrier", and "walking with a baby carrier". For example, if you select "pram", the route with fewer stairs and transfers will be searched first. You can also search for routes to nursing rooms and nappy changing areas. The search function for information on diaper-changing stations includes detailed reviews of women's toilets and multifunctional toilets when the location is a lavatory, so you can search for facilities that men can use, or use them with peace of mind when going out with only father and child.

• The search options for 'pushchairs', 'baby carriers' and 'walking with' allow you to optimise your route. It's useful to see the location of nurseries and nappy changing beds at destinations and en-route stations, as well as images of them.
• I wanted one back in the days when I was pushing my own pram (the last time was 8 years ago)! I thought.

award of excellence

Homeal", a home delivery service for toddler food for parents and children (homeal Co., Ltd.)

Provides frozen toddler meals recommended by a registered dietitian, customized for each family based on toddler food diagnosis. Home delivery of gently seasoned meals in portions that can be eaten by parents and children.

• What cannot be easily achieved has been released as a product that users can use with ease and without hassle. I particularly appreciate the fact that it can be eaten by parents and children. I hope it will evolve every year.
• There is a sense of security in the entries that start with a diagnosis and then a description of what kind of infant food plan is best. This is the second entry from last year, and I appreciate the fact that they are spreading awareness of toddler food, not only by including adults and subs, but also by offering individual items or gifts.

Learning and Play (3 prizes for excellence due to the large number of entries)

first prize

Kazashi-Bai (unouplus Co., Ltd.)

This is a multi-device picture storytelling app that allows the reader to control the app from a smartphone and the listener to enjoy the story from a tablet. The app is designed to make the most of the features of picture storytelling, which allow the listener to concentrate on the world of the story and the reader to create the world of the story, while allowing the user to participate in the story in a way that only digital technology can, such as by touching the screen, which cannot be expressed on paper.

• I think this is a work that brings together the simple but important essences of parent-child communication, the potential of picture-story shows as an opportunity for communication, and the element of play and design using digital devices. I hope that it will spread and that creators and users will be able to become creators.
• It took me by surprise. I think it's a new approach as devices become cheaper and we move into the multi-device era, including TV receivers.

award of excellence

Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Model (Amazon Japan G.K.)

Amazon's tablet device for children. With Amazon Kids+, the subscription service for children included in the set, you get unlimited access to thousands of kids' contents for a year. The content is vetted by our dedicated staff to ensure it's safe. Parental controls help prevent overuse.

• The follow-up to users is excellent, and there are glimpses of ways to retain Amazon customers, which I feel works well as a business. In total, thousands of contents are categorised accordingly, and there is enough volume for "interest discovery" through digital devices. If the child is able to use it, it can be used to develop spontaneous play. The fact that the concerns are addressed in detail also makes it easy to introduce into the home.
• The fact that the content has been checked by dedicated staff and that it is age-appropriate in a natural way is excellent. The device and the value that comes with its use is the security of parental oversight and a strong back-up system to ensure that children have the freedom to explore their curiosity independently.

EN-TRY International Exchange (Think-A-Lot Co., Ltd.)

This is a service that allows children from Japanese kindergartens and nursery schools to communicate online with children from overseas kindergartens. The children will have a chance to get to know each other and communicate with each other in advance.

• I think it's great that the company is able to provide an opportunity for children to experience overseas exchange at an early age, which has been reduced due to the Corona disaster. I was wondering how the children would react if they were online, but seeing how they interacted with the Kenyans, there seemed to be no problem and my interest was further broadened.
• I was impressed by the way you have developed your service to serve as a bridge for cross-cultural exchange. I believe that communication tools will continue to evolve with the advancement of technology, but I hope that you will grasp the insights of both Japanese and overseas preschools, and create a world where international exchange between preschools is a matter of course.

KIKASETE (AvirityInformation Inc.)

A picture book application that develops the ability to think and communicate. While reading a picture book, a character on the screen interacts with the child and asks contextual questions, knowledge questions and speech questions to elicit the child's thoughts. It develops reading comprehension, thinking and communication skills.

• THE CREATION OF THE APP IS VERY UNIQUE IN THAT IT USES PICTURE BOOKS AS A PLACE TO DEVELOP THE ABILITY TO THINK AND COMMUNICATE. THE FACT THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO INTERACT WITH THE APP ALSO ENCOURAGES CHILDREN TO THINK ABOUT THE FEELINGS OF OTHERS. THE RISK OF RELYING ON SYSTEMS AND AI IS MORE THAN COMPENSATED FOR BY IDENTIFYING THE SKILLS THAT WILL BE NEEDED IN THE FUTURE. BY FOLLOWING THE GUIDELINES FOR CHILDCARE AND EDUCATION, AND BY TRAINING CHILDREN TO LEARN THROUGH A SYSTEM THAT DOES NOT DENY THEIR QUESTIONS, WE CAN EXPECT CHILDREN TO BE ABLE TO EXPRESS THEIR THOUGHTS WITHOUT BECOMING DEFLATED. THIS IS AN APPLICATION THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH THE PARENTS OF KINDERGARTENS FOR THE SAKE OF THE CHILDREN WHO WILL LIVE IN THE FUTURE.
• The characters' conversations, which are well scripted and responsive to be conversational, showed a lot of effort. The tone of the voice is a little low and flat, which could be improved. It would have been more immersive if the voice actors had added their own voices, or if they had been more robotic and faltering.

Safety measures and oversight Department

first prize

cocolin (Kimuratan Co., Ltd.)

A wearable IoT technology service to watch over children. The service uses three tools: smart clothing, a multifunctional transmitter and a dedicated app to monitor and automatically record the safety of children throughout the day. The system monitors body temperature, prone sleeping and body movements and alerts the nursery staff in case of any abnormalities. This year we have improved the smart underwear and the application.

• It is fascinating to see that a manufacturer of underwear has once again created a 2021 version with comfort in mind. The ability to capture and respond to changes in the child's condition throughout the day, such as sleeping on their stomachs, and the ability to manage records in the cloud, could be an opportunity to change the way we work to support childcare professionals. We were also able to see how the system is evolving through a series of small improvements.
• We appreciate that you are evolving normally, including the fact that your needs are becoming more apparent.

award of excellence

Cubo Ai Plus (Yun Yun Ai Baby Camera Co.,Ltd)

A small bird-shaped smart baby monitor. It has a variety of features, including alerts for turning, face-covering and crying, automatic recording of the baby's condition, and a warning function to alert you when your child is approaching areas you don't want them to enter after crawling.

• I think it's great that the device is designed for the general consumer, not only to monitor the baby, but also to enjoy the photos that are taken of the child's development. I think it would be a great device to keep an eye on newborns to make sure they don't have any accidents while they are at home. I appreciate the ability to watch over them while they sleep, and also to detect intrusion into dangerous areas once they are walking around. I think it will be a good ally for remote working in general.
• It is a stand-alone product packed with high functionality, but I feel that each function is well made. It is a slightly higher priced product but I think it would make a good baby gift from grandparents or friends.

mitete (mitete Corporation)

This is a web service that allows you to search for and book nursery visits and temporary childcare using just one smartphone. Once you have registered, you can visit a variety of nurseries and book temporary childcare without having to contact them directly. Facilities can streamline their operations from reception to booking management.

• I think this is a much-needed content that is not likely to exist, and I think it's a great app to relieve the hassle and anxiety of parents about temporary childcare. However, it is a little simplistic in its functionality, and we think that other companies will follow suit with apps that have expanded functionality. If you can make it possible to visit the nursery to a certain extent using the app, or if you can provide benefits to the nursery, the number of participating nurseries will increase even if you charge for the service. This will be even more necessary when the number of users of nursery schools decreases due to the declining birth rate.
• Considering that this is an important area that should be handled by the government, we think that there are many things that cannot be done by private operators alone, such as the robustness of the service (for example, how to consider that needs may arise during maintenance time).

Fertility and Pregnancy Department

first prize

Papa ninaru (Eversense Corporation)

A free app for dads. Every day you will receive essential information about pregnancy, birth and childcare that will benefit pre-dads and dads raising children and help support mums (from pregnancy to age 3; once a week for ages 3 to 4). You will also receive advice from mothers and senior dads on how they are feeling and what they need to do now, so you can relax during your first pregnancy and childcare.

• The app has all the information a man would want to know when his wife is pregnant and the regular messages are good for making dads more aware. The "Search" section of the app is a good place to find information about nursery schools and kindergartens that may be of interest to active parents in the future.
• I found the app very useful as a way to start communicating with my partner through the link to the Mum's version of the app, the daily articles and the comments from older dads.

award of excellence

Smartphone application "Mainichi no Tamahiyo " (Benesse Corporation) to support the first 1,000 days of pregnancy through to the child-rearing period

The official free app of the company's childcare brand, Tamahyo. The app provides daily updates on the baby's growth and advice from experts, based on the number of days pregnant and the number of days after the baby is born. The app also features a community of mothers who have the same month of delivery, a growth record and a dad mode.

• This is one of the contents of Benesse's Total Support and there are many similar ones. However, it is good to be able to keep a record of growth easily with a smartphone in hand. I think the community "room" feature could be enhanced to gain even more user agreement.
• There was a sense of security in a service that continues to provide a stable service. I think it is highly valuable to feel that we are spending the same time raising our children. In addition, the "Room" and "Record" functions allow anyone to access information easily and without hassle, and the ability to compile information seems to be the basis for appropriate interaction with the support team.

Talk and Clear (AsoBoys Ltd.)

"This is a communication matching app for mothers who want to chat with someone who is in the same position and sympathizes with their feelings, and who want to be accepted and acknowledged for their worries, anxiety and stress.

• The idea of the lightness of the app itself is very interesting, but as it is not a consultation with an expert, it is questionable whether all users will be able to obtain satisfaction. However, I understand that this is one of the advantages of this app. I also think it would be good to have a male version of the app, which was mentioned in the presentation, as it has a secure system.
• I think there is a lot of value in a place where you can talk to people who share your concerns in a safe environment, and I think it would be great to have such a service. I think it would be great if there was such a service, but I don't think there is a clear picture of what it would look like as a service that people with problems could actually use and be highly satisfied with. I think it would be great if we could build a foundation for people to use the service with confidence and create partnerships.

Health Care Department

first prize

Kids Doctor (North Star Co., Ltd.)

A smartphone application that allows you to consult with a nurse for sudden illnesses of children during weekdays and holidays when hospitals are not open, "Chat Health Consultation", "Online Medical Examination", and "House Call" where a doctor comes to your home. The app also provides health information for children.

• This service will give peace of mind to parents of young children by lowering the hurdle of hospitals and limiting the service to times when real medical services are not available. Even if the corona scare is over, remote treatment will still be necessary and there will continue to be demand for services at times when there is no real treatment.
• It will be reliable if we can expand the mechanism from more light online consultation to telemedicine and after-hours house calls using a network of pediatricians. We hope that this service will become a bigger solution to the health and developmental concerns of children.

award of excellence

ainenne (First Ascent Ltd.)

ainenne has been developed to help caregivers reduce the problems of getting babies to sleep. With a sunlight-like light alarm and AI recommended wake-up time display, ainenne helps babies develop a rhythm that will help them fall asleep more easily. AI analysis of cries, white noise playback to drown out noise, and many other useful functions for waking and sleeping, and can be linked to our childcare recording app.

• Many parents have trouble getting their children to sleep, which is an eternal theme in child rearing, so I think this product will be well received. It has a variety of sleep-related features that make it very functional.
• It's a great product development story that takes BabyTech on the high road, with data collection from the company's Papatto childcare, machine learning to analyse the meaning of baby's cries, and sleep data to reset the baby's internal clock. It can also analyse crying voices and provide white noise to aid sleep onset. We hope they will continue the cycle of big data acquisition and product development.

CCS SENSOR, fever prediction function (CHaiLD Corporation / global bridge HOLDINGS Corporation / Queue Corporation / Xenoma Corporation)

The system works in conjunction with the company's Child Care System (CCS) to record the orientation of the child's body during nap time, and warns against sleeping on their back. The system automatically measures and records the skin temperature of the stomach every minute, and notifies the nursery teacher's device if there is a high possibility of fever the following day due to unusual temperature changes.

• EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT THE IMPROVED FUNCTIONALITY OF NAPPING SENSOR RECORDING IN CHILDCARE SETTINGS, WHICH WAS PREVIOUSLY NOT ALLOWED BY THE TOKYO METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT, IS PROVING USEFUL IN CHILDCARE SETTINGS, INCLUDING OUR OWN, WHERE ICT TOOLS ARE BEING USED. WE ALSO THINK IT IS GREAT TO HAVE A FUNCTION TO SUPPORT THE PREDICTION OF FEVER. WE LOOK FORWARD TO FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS IN THIS AREA AND HOPE THAT IT WILL BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD IN THE CHILDCARE SECTOR.
• I think it's advanced in that it's not just about watching for naps, but using the data to predict fever. The benefits of this are that the child can be cared for earlier and the family can have more time to adjust their schedule. If we can make alerts more accurate and determine what kind of health changes are predicted, it will be easier to collaborate with medical care.

Commemorations and records

first prize

Personalised Picture Book "BÜKI " (STUDIO BUKI Co., Ltd.)

This is a picture book where the story and illustrations are created from the child's name and date of birth. A wide range of customization is possible, such as adding a star in the night sky at the time of birth based on the child's date of birth, or changing the characters in the book. This is a web service that allows you to create and sell tailor-made picture books.

• I think the idea of comparing the main character of the picture book to the child himself is interesting. If we can increase the number of base stories and the number of order patterns for picture books, there is potential to expand into the childcare market."
• I think it's great that the bookie can be used as a vessel for children to become more immersed in a high quality, tasteful picture book and for adults to carry their own special feelings.

award of excellence

CollageSquare" - easy bedtime art at home (Japan Bedtime Art Association / TOMOWEL Promotion Co.

OHIRUNE ART IS A POPULAR SOCIAL NETWORKING SERVICE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO TAKE PICTURES OF YOUR BABY WITH BACKGROUNDS AND ACCESSORIES, AND CREATE ART PHOTOS WITH YOUR BABY. WITH THIS SERVICE, YOU DON'T NEED TO ACTUALLY PREPARE VARIOUS ACCESSORIES AND BACKGROUNDS FOR THE PHOTO SHOOT, JUST TAKE A PHOTO AT HOME WITH A SINGLE SMARTPHONE AND MATCH IT WITH THE BACKGROUND SET FOR OHIRUNE-ART.

• A platform where you can make a collage of your child's cute moments is fascinating, and I thought the 226,000 hashtag #ohirune-art on Instagram had a lot of potential. As a place where people can come together, it is wonderful that we are creating opportunities to deepen communication between parents and children, which can lead to increased self-esteem. The connections with certified teachers and companies will also help to expand business.
• I liked that the frustration of not being able to interact with people or go to real events in the Corona disaster was developed as an official tool of Ohirune Art. I was surprised by the performance of the automatic cropping. The fact that the baby's fluffy hair was cropped out properly made me feel that this is a dedicated service that is very convincing.

Baby Pasha (CreativePocket Inc.)

This is an auto-moving baby camera mangaget that specialises in the movements of babies in the Zubari and crawling stages. A dedicated app on the smartphone attached to the main unit recognizes the baby's face and moves on its own to keep the baby in the camera. It can safely take photos of eye contact and videos of crawling while maintaining a certain distance from the baby.

• I think it is very important to preserve the culture of photography. I think it is interesting that children like to use smartphones as a tool to take pictures. As was explained in the presentation, it is not a necessity for daily life, but it is definitely a product that adds colour.
• We felt that this was the most challenging device among those judged this time. As an automatic crawling drone, we hope it will be used as a live camera in events such as baby crawling races.

CHILDCARE ICT DIVISION

first prize

A comprehensive SaaS-based childcare tech service including "Yes Cheese! and other SaaS-based comprehensive childcare tech services (Sen Co., Ltd.)

The company's photo sales service for group childcare facilities, "Yes Cheese! as a comprehensive childcare tech service offering a wide range of childcare ICT services, including childcare business support, photo sales, video distribution and album production systems.
The company is the first in the industry (according to its own research) to offer a free plan with zero initial cost and zero monthly fee for childcare business support tools.

• IN THESE DAYS WHEN THE SUBSIDY PERSPECTIVE IS ASSUMED, THE FACT THAT THE INTRODUCTION OF THIS COMPREHENSIVE ICT-BASED CHILDCARE SUPPORT TOOL IS FREE OF CHARGE IS ATTRACTIVE TO CHILDCARE PROVIDERS WHO HAVE NOT YET INTRODUCED IT.
• I THOUGHT IT WAS GREAT THAT YOU STARTED BY PROVIDING THE ICT INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE NURSERY FREE OF CHARGE, AND THEN AGGREGATED ALL THE INFORMATION TO MAKE IT AN EVEN BETTER SERVICE. I HOPE THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE SUPPORTED BY PROVIDING VALUE BY ARRANGING CONSULTING AND SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION THAT IS SUITABLE FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL, BASED ON THE TRANSACTION.

award of excellence

Kizuna Connect (Nextbeat Corporation)

This is a cloud system that enables "attendance and labor management to cope with complex work styles in the childcare industry". a recruitment support service for childcare facilities. The system is equipped with a wide range of functions including child management, distribution of notices to parents, and calculation of childcare fees (issuing invoices and receipts).

• THIS IS A NEW SYSTEM OPERATED BY NURSERY WORKER BANK! WHICH IS FAMOUS FOR ITS RECRUITMENT SUPPORT SERVICE, HAS A STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH NURSERY SCHOOLS, SO WE CAN ASSUME THAT DEMAND FOR THIS NEW SYSTEM WILL BE HIGH. HOWEVER, AS A LATE ENTRANT TO THE MARKET, IT IS NECESSARY TO TRY SOMETHING NEW. THE ICT BUSINESS SYSTEM WAS DESIGNED TO MEET THIS EXPECTATION FROM A LABOUR PERSPECTIVE, BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE BENEFITS.
• NURSERY WORKERS BANK! AND THE USE OF HUMAN RESOURCE INFORMATION IN ICT AND LABOUR MANAGEMENT FOR CHILDCARE, AND THE AIM TO STRENGTHEN THE SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE BY IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL CHILDCARE WORKERS.

ChiReaf Space (Nihon Unisys, Ltd.)

This is an operational support system designed to reduce the workload of childcare staff and help improve the quality of childcare. The system provides functions such as attendance management, parent contact, preparation of teaching plans, developmental checks and child records. The developmental check and child chart functions allow comparison with the developmental data of 40,000 children held by the service nationwide, and the contents of the records can be visualized and used as objective indicators.

• The implementation of the functions of "teaching plan creation" and "developmental check/child charting" is a feature of the system, and the emphasis on the ability to reduce the workload of caregivers and support the improvement of the quality of childcare is in high demand in the modern childcare sector. The fact that it can also contribute to parents is highly appreciated.
• I was intrigued by the fact that we can use the data of 40,000 children as the basis for our childcare planning. The stability of the service base is very reliable.

Research and Studies Department

first prize

Research into the use of data from the SanSan Kids System, which supports children's growth and development (Goleta Networks Inc. / Clementia Inc.)

This is a behaviour analysis system for children from infancy to school age, which captures the actual state of their daily movements and behavioural characteristics. In addition to the analysis of the detailed movements and posture changes of each child every minute of the day, the system also evaluates the current situation and analyzes the problems of the movements of each child among all children in kindergartens and other day-to-day settings. We are continuing our research to improve the quality of education by providing support in childcare and school education settings where large numbers of children spend their days.

• It is interesting to see a system that can visualise movement. As a wearable device for data accumulation, it has enough functions for data accumulation in education.
• I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE GREAT TO BE ABLE TO USE A SIMPLE ACTIVITY METER TO ANALYSE CHILDREN'S EXERCISE AND MONITOR THEIR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH. AS MENTIONED IN THE PRESENTATION, IT COULD BE USED FOR STEAM EDUCATION BY VISUALIZING THE AMOUNT OF DAILY ACTIVITY AND THE AMOUNT OF ACTIVITY WITHIN A CERTAIN TIME PERIOD USING THE RAW DATA OF OURSELVES AND OUR FRIENDS AROUND US.

award of excellence

AI parenting report system with childcare support robot (ChiCaRo Co., Ltd.)

A developmental support system using ChiCaRo, a remote childcare support robot for children aged 0-3, detects the developmental status of children and situations where there are developmental issues, and reports to parents and childcare professionals. The AI uses data to understand the developmental status of each child, records each child's developmental issues and growth score, and sends a report to parents and childcare professionals on how to provide the necessary childcare support.

• There have been very few studies from the perspective of developmental support, and I think there is a great need for this in the future. However, there is still a lack of information, so it would be good if it could be clarified what data can be extracted and on what basis it can be determined whether there are developmental issues.
• It overlaps with the existing image of remote control, including robots, toys and solutions such as Orihime. I would like to see you work out what elements are needed to make it feel simple to connect and be there.

Study on the design of the cardboard cot QUICK BASE BABY (Espac Co., Ltd.)

An environmentally friendly cot made of cardboard that is easy for anyone to assemble. It is designed for use at home, in times of disaster or when returning home. Research into the use of the cot, the size of the baby, general cot design, computerised strength testing and prototype strength testing to ensure that the cot is small enough to carry, easy to assemble and strong enough for the baby to sleep safely.

• Although it is difficult to use normally in the field of childcare, there is a demand for it by some people in the general consumer market. The fact that the number of years a family needs a cot is short, especially with the declining birth rate, makes the use of cardboard a great alternative from the perspective of the SDGs. It would also contribute to safety, as many families do not buy cots.
• I like the idea of a baby bed from a disaster bed. It will be a bed that can be used not only in times of disaster, but also for home use. It's also a good idea to celebrate the birth of a child.

special prize

Akachan Honpo Prize

Picture book reading application "Miimi" (Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd. / Othbank Co., Ltd.)

This is a picture book reading application. In addition to enjoying the audio of picture books read by professional narrators, children can also create their own books by dubbing some of the dialogues, allowing them to actively enjoy the world of the story. The service offers a large number of commercially available picture books from famous publishers, with more than 80 books (as of August 2021) available, including famous works, picture books with English audio, and famous children's stories, with more new books being added every month.

Related ArticlesThe time is near when you can buy baby tech products at Akachan Honpo!　A conversation between Kenji Ajishi, President of Babies Honpo, and Tetsuya Nagata, President of Papa Smile

2021.10.26

BabyTech Community Award

Obstetrics & Gynaecology Online and Paediatrics Online (Kids Public Ltd.)

This is an online comprehensive maternal and child health support project that integrates with local authorities, providing online consultations with an emphasis on cooperation with local authorities, and regular medical articles and live broadcasts to residents. The online consultation service allows users to consult with active obstetricians, midwives and pediatricians via video and text from their smartphones.

Related articlesBabyTech® Award Japan 2021 List of products that made it through the first round

2021.09.06

What is the BabyTech® Award Japan 2021?

A competition to award BabyTech products.

BabyTech is the term used to describe products and services that use IoT and ICT technology to make childcare safer, more secure and more efficient.

Here in Japan, the adoption of BabyTech is beginning to be recognized as a useful tool for recording childcare, sharing information between family members, intellectual education, managing the health of the mother and unborn child, and managing the employees of childcare providers. Last year, NHK's BabyTech special reported that 2021 would be the first year of BabyTech, and interest in this area of technology is growing.

Papa Smile, Inc., the operator of BabyTech.jp, Japan's only media dedicated to baby tech, will hold BabyTech Award Japan 2019, the first event in Japan to award baby tech products and services distributed in Japan. Last year, the event was held as "BabyTech® Award Japan 2020 powered by DNP Dai Nippon Printing" with the support of Dai Nippon Printing Co.

Through this award, we aim to raise awareness of baby tech, expand the market and increase the number of new players.

Examples of award-winning products

Support system for sick children

Non-contact thermometer and recording app

Ultra-compact calving monitoring device

Example of last year's event

Exhibition of award-winning products

award ceremony

Baby Tech Talk Show

This award is to recognize the market and showcase the best products in the BabyTech market.

We are organising this event to raise awareness of BabyTech to all those involved in childcare, including organisations and companies that develop and provide ICT services and products for childcare, as well as parents, carers and childcare providers who use these services.

Baby tech is becoming more and more widespread, providing a systemic support for human childcare, care and oversight.

• Further assurance of safety and security
• Reduce the emotional and physical burden on parents and carers
• Solving problems one at a time and preventing major difficulties before they arise
• Creating an environment where you can be more hands-on where you want to face your children and family.

We want to provide a better environment for children to grow up in.

The products and services eligible for participation are products whose users are children ( newborn, infant, toddler (pre-school)) and their parents, as well as pre-pregnant, pregnant and post-pregnant women, their partners and families.

A Babytech Award 2020 winning product awareness advert that we have placed on three Toei Subway lines (Toei Shinjuku, Toei Mita and Toei Oedo). It is displayed near the priority seats as a maternity mark tie-up.

Reference: The relationship between Baby Tech and xTech

If xTech is a horizontal "line" of various genres such as FemTech (women), SleepTech (sleep), EdTech (education) and FinTech (finance), BabyTech is a comprehensive "surface" technology genre surrounding infants from pregnancy to schooling.

Products, services and research to be reviewed

To be considered, the following two conditions must be met

Condition 1: Subject to any of the following conditions

(i) prospective mothers, mothers and fetuses during pregnancy and childbirth, mothers during the postnatal period,
(ii) newborns (0-28 days old), infants (under 1 year old), toddlers (preschoolers)
(iii) parents and relatives of infants, mothers' partners and relatives of infants, and Mother's partner and relatives,
④ Caregivers of the facility organization, facility operator, cared-for infants and their parents

Condition 2: a. b. c. d. e. applies.

a. Electronic devices that operate on their own
b . Devices that work with smartphones, PCs, the internet, etc.
c . Various applications for smartphones, PCs, etc.
d . Services and initiatives using ICT technology, such as websites
e . Research and studies related to the baby tech sector

Judging Section

The judging will be divided into eight categories. Please see below for the relevant categories.

If you are not sure which category to enter, please let us know at the time of application and we will assign you to the appropriate category at the jury meeting.

Award Structure

For each category, the best products will be selected in an initial screening based on the submission of samples and documents.

• BabyTech® Award Japan 2021 Qualified

Last year's Qualified mark (reference)

For each category, the Grand Prize and the Prize for Excellence will be selected from the products that have passed the first round of judging (Qualified) after a second round of judging.
From 2021, the jury's evaluation comments will be published by name.

• Grand Prize (one of the first prizes in the category)
• Prize for Excellence (2nd and 3rd places in the category)

Last year's Grand Prize Trophy (for reference)

In addition to the above jury prizes, special prizes will be awarded by the sponsors.

Merit of Award

1. Promotion and packaging of the BabyTech Award Japan 2021 Qualified mark and the Grand Award of Excellence mark
2. Inclusion in our catalogue of BabyTech products and services, and distribution of the catalogue throughout the year
3. Press release announcement of the award-winning product and media (newspaper, magazine, TV, radio, web)
4. Year-round advertising on the Toei Subway ( for one year from February 2022, number of lines to be confirmed )
5. Interview with award-winning company on Baby Tech Radio ( Rainbow Town FM, every second Saturday of the month from 10.30am to 11am ) , Youtube archive and podcast
6. Presentation of award certificates and trophies
7. Participation in the awards ceremony at the Childcare Expo 2021, organising the winners' presentations and attracting media coverage
8. Exhibition and demonstration of award-winning products and services at the Childcare Expo 2021 ( 3,000 visitors to the exhibition stand over two days in 2008 )
9. Coverage of each award-winning product on BabyTech.com
10. CES2022 JETRO's Japan Pavilion (Eureka Park/Sands 2F) Product Exhibition Connections(FOR APPLICANTS ONLY: BTAJ SCREENING COMMITTEE, JETRO AND US CTA SCREENING WILL BE CONDUCTED SEPARATELY)
11. Presentation of products at national exhibitions and conference talks (to be arranged due to numerous cancellations of physical events by Corona Damages)

Examples of media coverage of last year's award-winning products and award-winning product displays

Application Rules

The application rules are now closed. Please use the arrow to the right to open it.

For device equipment

Any product, regardless of when it is launched, which is or will be available as a product to individuals or companies in Japan as of 31 December 2021, and whose name and product can be announced in the announcement of Qualified Awarded Products on 6 September 2021.

detailed regulations

1. Even if the product has not been announced at the time of application, it can be submitted if it meets the above requirements.
2. Please lend us samples that show the planned performance of your actual product, such as prototypes or test units. Please send samples to
   20 August 2021 Please send them to the Secretariat by
3. Samples will be tried out for a maximum of 30 September during the assessment period and will be returned in due course from 4 October.
   If you have any requests regarding the length of the loan period, such as a small number of samples, please let us know on the application form.
4. If the device is a test unit under development, it may not be subject to review unless performance equivalent to that of the actual product can be confirmed.
5. For imported products, the manufacturer of the product itself, or the Japanese subsidiary of the importer, or a company or organization with which it has concluded an exclusive agency agreement, exclusive distributor agreement or license agreement, must have localized the display language of the product or application for the Japanese market.

For application services

Any application or service that has been or will be released as a customer-ready application or service (e.g. published on the web, published in an application store, etc.) in Japan as of December 31, 2021, regardless of when it was released, and that has passed the initial screening (Qualified) on September 6, 2021. The name and service can be announced in the announcement of Qualified Awarded Services on 6 September 2021.

detailed regulations

1. Beta versions are eligible as long as they are released in an open and customer-accessible manner. (This does not apply to closed beta versions that have been restricted to a limited number of users as at the end of October 2021)
2. Even if the application or service has not yet been released or announced at the time of application, it can be submitted as a mid-development version if it meets the above requirements.
3. If the application has not yet been released or announced at the time of application, it may not be eligible for judging unless it can be confirmed that the mid-development version has the same performance and content as the released application or service.

For research and study

Applicants must be able to submit a summary in Japanese as a PDF document (in any format, including research releases and papers) as of 12 August 2021, regardless of the timing of the research. Applicants must be able to submit a PDF document (in any format, such as a research release or a paper ) as of August 12, 2021, and must be able to publish their theme and summary in a Qualified Award announcement on September 6, 2021.

detailed regulations

1. Even if your work has not yet been published at the time of submission, you may still apply if you meet the above requirements.
2. If you would like to submit a prototype device or sample depending on the nature of your research, please send it to the Secretariat as well as the other device regulations by August 20, 2021 If you wish to submit prototypes or samples, please send them to the Secretariat by
3. The award will not be made if any unethical misrepresentation of the research process or results is found.

About the Applicant

For devices, applications and services

The applicant must be a business entity (developer/manufacturer, owner, or operator) or a company/organization entrusted by a business entity. In the case of a consigned company or organization, the consent of the business entity is required.

For research and study

We accept applications in the name of individuals, companies, organisations, local authorities, schools, kindergartens, nurseries, medical institutions and research organisations. In the case of applications from commissioned companies and organisations, the consent of the research study subject is mandatory.

Judging criteria

• Problem statement and solution
  Is the problem statement (focus point) clear and is the granularity of the statement appropriate?
  Do you have a strong awareness of the issues, concerns and feelings about the childcare environment?
  Does the solution assume that the problem is well covered?
• Novelty and originality
  Does a similar product exist in the submitted product
  Compared to similar products, is there a unique initiative and does this initiative create an advantage?
  Does the unique appeal of the product lead to the right advantages?
• Functionality and ease of use
  Is it designed to be easy for the target user to use and does it ensure reliable operation?
  For devices, is it easy to install and can it be used in a few steps (e.g. one button press)? Is it easy to install and use with a few steps (e.g. one button press)?
  For community services, is it easy for anyone to participate?
  For repeat applications, has the functionality and usability been refined since the previous application? Has the functionality and ease of use been refined?
• Future potential, continuity
  Do you envisage a long term use of the project, not just a short term perspective?
  Do you envisage future development, e.g. an approach to a new area of coexistence?
  If you are applying again, do you have any new insights or assumptions compared to your previous application? Are there any new insights or assumptions? If a pivot, is it appropriate?

There is no order of precedence for the judging criteria. The judges will score each item and the total score will be used for judging.

Judging criteria (for research and studies)

• Proposal
  Are the arguments for the proposal (focus point) clear and is the level of granularity appropriate?
  Do you have a strong awareness of the issues, concerns and feelings about the childcare environment?
• Novelty and originality
  Is there similar research/studies on the submitted product
  Is there a unique approach compared to similar research/studies, and does this approach create an advantage?
• Content
  
  Is the argument and format coherent and easy to understand?
  Is the research plan, depth of research, analysis and discussion carefully developed? Is there development based on previous research?
  Are the findings appealing?
• Prospects
  Does it show promise for future development?
  Does it make recommendations for better childcare and suggestions for baby tech?

There is no order of precedence for the judging criteria. The judges will score each item and the total score will be used for judging.

Judging process and announcement schedule

Detailed dates are given in the Overview section.

examiner

examiner

Mr. Masataka Kikuchi, President of Kikuchi Gakuen School Corporation (Maa-Sensei)

Mr. Tatsuya Kurosaka, Specially Appointed Associate Professor, Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University

Makoto Ukai, Deputy General Manager, Event Strategy, Asahi Shimbun

Guest Judges

Musician Diamond✡Yukai

Community Jury

Voting by mum and dad members of the BabyTech user community (managed by Papa Smile Co., Ltd. )
*The ranking of the voting results will award points equivalent to 0.5 jury members.

President of the Jury

Tetsuya Nagata, CEO , Papa Smile Co.

About Application

Exhibition Outline

1. Applications can be sent to
   Monday 10 May 2021, from 15:00 Thursday, 12 August until 24:00
2. Sample submission deadline
   2021 Friday, 20 August
3. Announcement of the first round
   Monday, 6 September 2021, 10:00
4. Preparation period for the second round (presentation) for those who have passed the first round
   Wednesday 7 September to Friday 1 October 2021
5. Second round (online presentation to the jury)
   Monday 4 October to Friday 29 October 2021
6. Announcement of the winning products
   2021 Friday 12 November 10am
7. Exhibition of Award Winning Products, Award Ceremony, Presentation of Award Winners
   Wednesday 1 and Thursday 2 December 2021 at the Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Trade Center, Hamamatsucho Building

examination fee

50,000 per product (excluding tax) *Free of charge for the Research and Studies section

 Payment of the judging fee will be sent by email to
by the Secretariat after receipt of the entry form and entry form. Bank transfer and credit card payment via PayPal are accepted.

Mark usage fees and other costs after award

Use of the BabyTech Award logo in publicity materials: Free of charge
Certificate and trophy: Free of charge for each certificate and trophy (additional certificates can be issued at cost)
Free of charge (travel expenses to and from the venue must be paid)
Presentation of award winners and exhibition of award-winning products: Free of charge (travel expenses to and from the venue must be paid)
No charge for coverage of the award-winning products on BabyTech.jp

The first time you use it for product packaging, sales promotion, advertising media, etc., you will be charged. You will be notified after receiving the award.

The application form is no longer available.

Contact Us

• Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
  Check the Frequently Asked Questions and Answers page
• From the web: please use the contact form
  Ask a question using the contact form
• By phone: 03-6272-5165
  Weekdays 10:00 - 18:00 Our telework operators will contact you shortly.

Day 1 of the Awards Event: Award Ceremony and Winners' Presentations

　Wednesday, 1 December 2021, 12:00-13:00
at the Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Trade Center Hamamatsucho Building
*The award ceremony and presentation will be broadcast live on YouTube. Also scheduled

Official website of the Childcare Expo 2021
https://hoikuhaku.jp.messefrankfurt.com/tokyo/ja.html

Day 2 of the Awards Event: BabyTech Stage Event

　Thursday, 2 December 2021, time to be confirmed
at the Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Trade Center, Hamamatsucho Building, Childcare Expo 2021

Talk event with Diamond✡Yukai at
(details to be announced)

Both days of the awards event: Exhibition of award-winning products

Exhibition of products and introduction by video

Thursday 1/Friday 2 December
Childcare Expo 2021, Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Trade Centre Hamamatsucho Pavilion
At the BabyTech® Award Japan 2021 booth.

This year's exhibition will have a larger booth size.

• Exhibition of award-winning products
• (Multiple award-winning product images are played on a continuous loop.
• Installation of product leaflets and pamphlets (only for companies that wish to do so)
• Product Description Multiple attendants on duty
• Media coverage and handling of enquiries

About the organizer

Papa Smile Co.

As a pioneer in BabyTech, our vision is to revitalize the market and support the rich growth of children by empowering families.

BabyTech is a registered trademark of Papa Smile Co.,Ltd in Japan.

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2021.04.28