Panasonic inaugurates sustainable smart town in Tokyo

Panasonic has inaugurated the Fujisawa sustainable smart town (SST) in the south-west of Tokyo, which will feature sustainable environmentally friendly technologies.

The smart town developed by Fujisawa SST Council, a consortium led by Panasonic, is designed to source energy from nature and promote local production for local consumption.

The SST concept has also been designed with a focus on developing services based on people’s lifestyles and creating a smart infrastructure.

Built on a 19ha plot along Kanagawa Prefecture’s Shonan coast, the town facility is known as the Fujisawa SST Square and serves as a central communication base for people who gather there.

According to the company, the facility promotes the town’s growth through its functions of managing the town, welcoming guests and fostering community.

Together with partner companies, Panasonic provides five essential services of energy, security, mobility, healthcare and community in the town and will also collect and manage the information gained.

Panasonic noted that the Square offers various facilities that have been designed to promote interaction among those who gather in the town such as a café and kitchen corner, the Square Lab, a food and craft studio and the Square Mobility.

The Shonan T-Site, a cultural complex is set to open on the south side of the Fujisawa SST Square in mid-December, to make the combined site a place that will foster enriched lifestyles by increasing its value to the people who gather there.

Fujisawa SST has set a detached housing zone for non car owners for the second phase of sales and will also embark on new initiatives for the future.

Land under administration on the west side will be used in collaboration with partner companies as a venue for verifying next-generation lifestyles and businesses, with completion expected in 2018.

Fujisawa SST Council will use the equipment and services perfected in the smart town to create future sustainable residential developments to refine the Fujisawa model.