ANA HOLDINGS INC. (hereinafter "ANA HD") has partnered with Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd. and Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd. to launch shopping, conference and entertainment services powered by its avatar technology across the dynamic Tokyo neighborhood of Nihonbashi. ANA HD will provide its core service platform for avatar services, “avatar-in” as well as its original “newme” communication avatars at Mitsui Fudosan and Isetan Mitsukoshi locations in Japan. The use of avatar technology in Nihonbashi lays out the blueprint for achieving the ‘Society 5.0’ vision that ANA HD unveiled at CEATEC 2019.
"With its potential to increase connectivity and help people forge long-lasting bonds no matter the distance between them, avatar technology is well aligned with ANA HD’s core values,” said Kevin Kajitani, Co-Director of ANA HOLDINGS INC. Avatar Division. “Avatar technology is a significant component in our plans to help create ‘Society 5.0,’ a world where interactions with technology and other humans are seamless and intuitive. Instead of supplanting the human connection, avatars will make it deeper and create a whole new range of experiences that were never possible before.”
ANA HD avatars will be featured in Tokyo’s Nihonbashi district, starting with the limited pop-up “avatar-in store” which will be open from December 5 to December 24. Customers will be able to shop remotely at the limited pop-up store in Nihonbashi’s COREDO Muromachi 3 mall using the “newme” avatar robots to browse the store’s inventory without having to physically travel there. All purchases will then be shipped and delivered to the address provided at registration.
Avatar technology will also be used in work settings to allow for full-remote participation that goes beyond traditional teleconferencing. Once fully realized, avatars will also be used for collaborations in the fields of education and community development, starting at “X-NIHONBASHI” which provides multipurpose venues and workspaces.
The connective power of ANA HD’s avatar technology will also be applied for entertainment events, highlighting the convergence of technological innovation and artistic creativity. Starting in January 2020, the first of these connected exhibitions, “FLOWERS BY NAKED 2020 SAKURA” will allow visitors to harness avatar technology to fully experience a lush, artistic garden remotely via their computers.
The communal multipurpose venue “Flatto” will employ avatar technology to enhance its global connectivity. Flatto’s versatility allows it to be used as a meeting space for everything from private parties and yoga sessions to company meetings and educational seminars. Avatar technology will be utilized to seamlessly connect Flatto conference rooms with the entire world, boosting the venue’s potential as a community space and educational hub within Nihonbashi.
The use of avatar technology across Nihonbashi is part of the district’s broader Nihonbashi Revitalization Plan Stage 3 project, a joint public-private-community initiative aiming to preserve its unique heritage while promoting modernization through technology and urban development. ANA HD will contribute to the development of Nihonbashi by introducing 100 of its newme avatar robots to the area in the fiscal year 2020. The presence of these advanced robots will boost connectivity throughout Nihonbashi.
ANA HD remains committed to reducing travel barriers and creating a better connected planet. By collaborating with partner companies and local governments to create a new avatar mobility infrastructure worldwide, ANA HD aims to go beyond the limitations of traditional transportation and technology to bring about its vision of Society 5.0 and an era of unprecedented connection, sharing and understanding.
