From February 20 to 22, International Space Industry Exhibition (ISIEX) 2024, Green Infrastructure Industry Exhibition 2024, Disaster Preparedness Industry Fair 2024, and Smart Factory Japan 2024 were held concurrently in the Tokyo Big Sight’s West Hall.
Over the 3-day event period, a total of 20,436 visitors attended the 4 exhibitions, at which they gathered information on the latest technological advancements of over 200 exhibiting companies. The venue was abuzz with the voices of exhibitors showcasing a wide variety of products and services, ranging anywhere from portable toilets to space insurance.
First, the Green Infrastructure Industry Exhibition focused on creating a future built on sustainable and environmentally friendly towns and cities. Many exhibiting companies expressed their commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially reducing carbon emissions to mitigate the effects of climate change.
One of the most eye-catching products in Green Infrastructure was Mirai Labo’s Solar Mobiway, a system of solar panels that are built into the ground replacing asphalt. Since the panels can be walked or even driven over, they offer the advantage of converting roads and sidewalks into electricity producers, thereby reducing deforestation caused by the clearing of space for solar panel installations. Other notable products included a plastic underground flood prevention structure and drones that can analyze environmental damage to natural spaces.
Second, the International Space Industry Exhibition orbited around satellites, rockets, and space exploration, supporting the hopes of Moon and Mars landings by humans in the near future. Exhibitors showcased lunar rovers, astronaut simulator VR, services for turning space industry waste into fuel, and even construction vehicles for building infrastructure on the surface of the Moon. In addition, a special display was implemented of scale models of 2 Japanese space probes, the Hayabsua 2, which completed the first ever return with samples from an asteroid, and the Martian Moons eXploration probe, which is planned to launch in 2026 in order to collect samples from the moons of Mars.
Iwaya Inc. exhibited its Balloon Spaceflight, a service that allows customers to take a trip to the stratosphere for an afternoon of space sightseeing. Utilizing the company’s high-altitude balloon combined with its airtight cabin, patrons can fly 25,000 meters above the Earth’s surface. Iwaya Inc. is currently racing against an American company to claim the title of first in the world to offer a space balloon ride to the public.
Third, The Disaster Preparedness Industry Fair showcased products and services to mitigate danger in emergency scenarios, as well as to aid disaster management professionals, these products being ever-important due to Japan’s high rate of earthquakes and other natural disasters. Noteworthy exhibits include portable electric generators, sandbags for flood prevention, tools and gear for rescue personnel, and a VR 4D disaster simulator. Onoda Industry demonstrated the uses of its Shelter & Adventure Machine (SAM), a household disaster shelter that protects against typhoons, strong winds, and tsunamis.
The Disaster Toilet Pavilion showcased several variants of portable toilets for use during emergency scenarios, such as tent-shaped manhole toilets, toilets made almost entirely out of paper, and a barrier-free toilet trailer.
Finally, the largest of the 4 exhibitions, Smart Factory Japan, aimed to advance and optimize the manufacturing industry by instituting digitalization and automation in Japanese factories. With a more prominent focus on services than products, companies promoted AI translation services, support services for creation of new types of robots, and consulting for optimal quality management using process informatics, as well as measuring equipment that automatically records analytics with the help of AI.
The next edition of Smart Factory Japan will be held from September 18 to 20, 2024, and International Space Industry Exhibition 2025, Green Infrastructure Industry Exhibition 2025, Disaster Preparedness Industry Fair 2025 will take place from January 29 to 31, all of which will be at the Tokyo Big Sight.
