The bookmark transforms itself into a light for reading

The pleasure of reading is amplified more by technology. It is not only e-books.

This "bookmark light" is the stylish bookmark that a cool electronic circuit was printed, but transforms into an mini-light when folded. Special film is used for this, and a described electric circuit is buried with thin LED and nanoparticles ink. Its appearance is simple transparent bookmark, but when users bend it and sandwich the lithium coin battery, thin LED lights turn on. You are not troubled in reading if you use this in the dark places, and furthermore, you can use it as a normal bookmark in the bright places. The price is 1,728 yen, and design brand Kyouei design, the maker of this sells this for the foreign countries for 16 dollars. Web shop is here.

Mobile application to check halal snacks & candy

Tourists of Muslims visiting Japan increase steadily, but unfortunately, the support to halal food in Japan is still late. For example, many snacks and candy are sold in convenient stores, supermarkets, and department stores, but all of those ingredient description is written in only Japanese. Muslims who do not understand Japanese cannot judge halal or haram from these.

This iOS mobile application "OKASHI Checker"(OKASHI means snacks and candy in Japanese) displays raw materials names of snacks and candy in English or Indonesian from barcode printed on packages. This application has the database of raw materials of representative Japanese snacks and candy, and when users choose languages and scan barcode with the smartphones' camera, they can check raw materials names by English or Indonesian. In addition, users can evaluate snacks and the candy of one's favorite with LIKE button and can check a popularity ranking. This is the application that is convenient for not only Muslims but also vegetarians and the people who have allergic diseases. The downloading is free.

Mobile apps that support astronomical observation

Mars reaches its closest point to the earth on May 31. Furthermore, the Venus reaches closest point to Jupiter on August 28. However, can we observe it in the most suitable when and where? This Planet Book simulates the movement of the planets and supports astronomical observation.

This shows planets appear from which direction, when and how. The waxing and waning of the Mercury and the Venus, position of Jovian satellites and Jupiter's Great Red Spot, Martian surface texture etc.. Users can know these by checking application beforehand. Of course not only planets but also the constellations are displayed, and users can simulate the starlit sky-displaying method by binoculars and the astronomical telescope, too. When a screen is too bright, users can change it to a night vision mode. As for the downloading, both iOS/Android is free.

Foreign tourist visiting Japan, please install "Safety tips" in your mobile as anti-disaster measures

Because Kyushu is famous as a sightseeing spot in southern Japan, many foreign tourists suffer from this Kyushu earthquake. Japan may be safe in the peace and order, but It's not so in the disasters. Rather Japan is a "department store of the disasters". Earthquake, tsunami, heavy rain, flood, typhoon, tornado, volcanic eruption, heavy snow, blizzard... every disaster attack Japan through the year. Therefore the global safe ranking of Japan is slightly low. Can you survive if you suffer from disasters in Japan? Japan Tourism Agency thought that they must send the information of disasters to foreign tourists in real-time to make Japan a great tourism nation. Therefore they provide application "Safety tips" to send the information of disasters to by various languages in push notification. It supports English, Chinese, Korean and the downloading is free(iOS/Android).

By this application, you can know the information of the disaster attacking Japan in real-time. You can communicate using brief conversation templates even if you suffer from disasters. It will be good to learn about the appropriate action at the time of the disasters before a trip to Japan. Much caution does no harm. Please learn about disasters and enjoy trips to Japan.

LINE released the charity stickers of the Kyushu earthquake in a global market

Messaging application LINE started the sale of the charity stickers of the Kyushu earthquake in Japan. Users can buy these in sticker shop in the application and LINE STORE of the Web. The price is 120yen(50 LINE Coin).

Whenever big disasters happened somewhere, LINE released charity stickers. They sold charity stickers for 2013 Typhoon Haiyan in Philippine and contributed 58,773,190yen(about 540,008USD) to the Red Cross, and contributed 32,170,035 yen to the Red Cross for 2015 Nepal earthquake like it. The donation activity using LINE's stickers is common now in Japan, but in the case of 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, they did not sell charity stickers unexpectedly.  Naturally, because LINE has not yet existed in March, 2011(LINE was released in June, 2011).

I write this many times, Technology and the action of people greatly change in only five years. Even if services and the tools which did not exist five years ago become the current common sense, it is not mysterious.