Hachijo Town faces challenges such as a declining birthrate and aging population, decreasing tourist numbers, and the need to prepare for natural disasters. The town has entered into a Comprehensive Partnership Agreement on Sustainability and DX Promotion with Mizuho Bank and Mizuho Research & Technologies to proceed with the "Smart Island Project," which aims to achieve a sustainable community that takes advantage of the unique charm of the island. (https://www.mizuhogroup.com/who-we-are/strategy/digitalization)
Digitally realizing the possibilities of remote islands
The objective of this initiatives through sustainability and DX promotion are;
- Industrial activation
- Development of safe and secure local community infrastructure
- Establishment and deployment of data linkage infrastructure
Tourism DX: Revitalizing the tourism industry in coexistence with the natural environment through "Hachijojima's natural environment and unique resources x digital technology" (promotion of ecotourism and whale watching, VR content)
Fisheries DX: Advancement of the fisheries industry through the use of ICT such as various sensing technologies (promotion of smart water industry)
Disaster prevention/mitigation DX: Social implementation of digital technology in wind and flood damage countermeasures and tsunami countermeasures (expansion of disaster prevention IoT sensors, centralization of disaster prevention information, advancement of communication methods such as smart displays)
Administrative DX: Improving the efficiency of administrative operations by introducing advanced technologies such as facial recognition technology
Promote data utilization: Promote digital marketing and build new services that contribute to local community revitalization by linking and utilizing data related to local communities such as tourism, industry, and disaster prevention.
Here are recent activities and achievements through this initiative.
150 smart displays installed on Hachijojima:
On November 14, 2023: In collaboration with NTT Communications and Aira, will develop a project in Hachijo Town as part of the promotion of Hachijojima to become a smart island and a sustainable island. The company announced that it has introduced smart displays for local residents. The purpose is to allow residents who do not have smartphones, such as the elderly, to enjoy the benefits of digital technology.
This project utilizes the framework of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's "Tokyo Treasure Island Sustainable Island Creation Project," and aims to improve the sophistication of information dissemination from the government and verify the effectiveness of the monitoring function for the elderly. What drives digitalization.
The scale of the smart display installation is 150, including administrator terminals. Target recipients include people receiving nursing care services at home, those who are frail or pre-frail, elderly people living alone or in households with elderly people who need supervision, and people who are unaccustomed to operating digital devices.
Implementing of POC "Facial Pass at Hot Springs" using a facial recognition system
On December 4, 2023: In collaboration with Panasonic Connect Co., Ltd will develop a project "Facial Pass at Hot Springs" in Hachijo Town as part of the promotion of Hachijojima to become a smart island and a sustainable island.
The "Onsen de Kao Pass" is aimed primarily at residents of Hachijo Island, which allows residents of Hachijo Island to use facial recognition at town-run hot spring facilities without having to bring their own belongings by pre-registering and paying in advance. We will carry out a demonstration project. Facial recognition uses biometric information that is different for each person to authenticate the person, making it difficult to impersonate and can be expected to provide high security. Furthermore, since contactless authentication is possible, there is also interest in hygiene aspects. This project will utilize facial recognition technology to improve the efficiency of administrative operations and the convenience of island residents' lives.
MIZUHO and HAKOVO's Sharing Session on 22 March 2024 at HAKOVO HQ office in Singapore
- Advanced initiatives in Singapore's smart city
- Similarities and differences between the challenges faced by Singapore's cities and those faced by Japanese local governments
- Initiatives that align HAKOVO solutions to smart cities from a supply chain & logistics perspective - SC 4.0 & CP 4.0
(From LEFT, Kei Sasaki, Chief Consultant of Digital Consulting Div of Mizuho Research & Technologies, Ltd, Taka (HAKOVO), Kosuke Nakamura, Chief Consultant and Ryo Suzuki Consultant)