〜Demand expected for outdoor use in disasters and emergencies, as well as at tourist destinations.〜

INFORICH INC. (HQ: Shibuya, Tokyo, President & CEO, here INFORICH), operator of the Mobile Battery Sharing Service “ChargeSPOT®” has installed at the Miyashita Park Partners (Shibuya, Tokyo) operated Shibuyakuritsu Miyashita Park Japan’s first outdoor “ChargeSPOT” battery stand on the 9th August.

With the development of the outdoor battery stand, it will be possible to set it up in parks and other outdoor locations designated as evacuation sites in each region. This will enable it to be used in disasters and emergencies, and it is expected that demand will also increase in outdoor locations such as tourist destinations.

※Name of the joint venture company designated as the park manager by Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd. and Seibu Landscape Co., Ltd.

■ About the Outdoor Battery Stand Installation
Until now, ChargeSPOT battery stands have been developed with specifications that assume they are to be installed indoors, but in order to pursue greater convenience for users by allowing them to rent batteries in a variety of easily accessible locations, we have come to the realization that it is urgent to install outdoor battery stands and have therefore proceeded with their development.
Miyashita Park is also a visually striking location in Shibuya Ward that is visited by many people from Japan and abroad. It was decided to install the first outdoor battery stand because of the long expected well time of visitors, including those using the commercial facilities, suchs as shops and restaurants, located in MIYASHITA PARK. In addition to the outdoor installation, a battery stand (non-outdoor type) will also be installed in the commercial facilities of MIYASHITA PARK, which is being developed by Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd. (Head office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Shun Ueda; here Mitsui Fudosan), on the same day, August 9th.

■ About further expansion
Miyashita Park is a popular spot, so there are strong expectations for the outdoor battery stand to serve as support in emergencies and disasters. Currently, there are approximately 15,000 parks and facilities within parks designated as emergency evacuation sites (※1) across the country (※2). Since it is important to gather information and secure a means of communication during an emergency evacuation, we expect that our supply of outdoor charging solutions will be a useful measure in the event of a disaster. In addition to installing them in parks and other designated emergency evacuation sites, we are considering expanding installation to major outdoor spots where installation was not possible before, such as tourist spots, event venues, and station squares that serve as public transportation hubs, with the aim of further improving convenience and increasing the contribution of the battery stand to social infrastructure.

■ Summary of the Disaster Response Agreement with Shibuya Ward
INFORICH signed an agreement with Shibuya Ward in 2019 regarding the loan of mobile batteries and information distribution in the event of a disaster. By installing an outdoor ChargeSPOT in Miyashita Park, a Shibuya Ward park, we hope to further strengthen the efforts of this agreement.

[Contents of the agreement in the event of a disaster in Shibuya Ward]
– Loan of ChargeSPOT mobile batteries owned by INFORICH
– Free rental of ChargeSPOTs installed in Shibuya Ward
– Dissemination of disaster information using ChargeSPOT digital signage

■ About the Installation
【Outdoor Battery Stand】
・Installation Date: 9th August 2024 (Fri.)
・Installation Location & No. of Units:
Shibuyakuritsu Miyashita Park (near Park Center), 1x 40-slot Outdoor Battery Stand
【Commercial Facilities Battery Stands】
・Installation Date: 9th August 2024 (Fri.)
・Installation Location & No. of Units:
RAYARD MIYASHITA PARK (South 1F〜3F), 4x 20-slot Battery Stand

■ About the 40-slot Outdoor Battery Stand
It is designed to be installed outdoors and is resistant to the effects of weather.

• Waterproof design: Meets waterproof standards of IPX4 or higher (※) and is designed to prevent water from entering the internal electronic component area.
• Drainage mechanism: Drainage holes are provided at the bottom to prevent water from accumulating inside.
• Windproof design: The fixing method and installation process are precisely designed to withstand strong winds.

In addition, the following high temperature countermeasures have been implemented to combat the recent summer heat.

• Passive cooling: The entire stand is designed in white to reduce heat from sunlight.
• Active cooling: A hybrid cooling system that combines a built-in fan and a built-in air conditioner. When the temperature is high, the fan operates first, and if that is not effective, the air conditioner operates, achieving both cooling and energy saving.
• High battery temperature countermeasures: A temperature sensor is built into the battery to stop charging and discharging when the battery overheats.

※What is IPX? IPX is an international standard for the protection rating of electronic devices, as determined by the IP (International Protection) standard, which indicates their dustproof and waterproof capabilities.

■ About the collaboration with “fragment design”
The outdoor battery stand that will be installed this time features a design created in collaboration with fragment design, a design group led by creative director Hiroshi Fujiwara. ChargeSPOT has collaborated with fragment design in the past, and the design of the collaborative mobile battery launched in 2023 was a simple design with a black base and fragment design’s iconic bolt mark and the “ChargeSPOT” C mark printed in white on the surface. This battery stand also adopts a simple design that matches the sophisticated city of Shibuya, and the 2023 collaborative mobile battery will be re-launched in limited quantities.

*1: Designated emergency evacuation sites: A place to evacuate to in an emergency to protect oneself from the dangers of disasters. Designations are made for each type of disaster, such as landslides, floods, earthquakes, and tsunamis.

*2: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, Designated Emergency Evacuation Shelter Data https://www.gsi.go.jp/bousaichiri/hinanbasho.html

※ ChargeSPOT® is a registered trademark of INFORICH INC.

■ Comment from Masahiro Tsuji, Director of Miyashita Park Partners
As smartphones and mobile technology evolve and become more widespread, we are seeing a change in the way parks are used in recent years, with an increasing number of park visitors enthusiastically taking videos of themselves dancing with friends or of the flowers swaying in the breeze.
We hope that the outdoor battery stand to be installed in Miyashita Park will be a powerful item that supports new ways of using parks.

■ Comment from Hiroshi Fujiwara, Founder of fragment design
This time, we will be installing a ChargeSPOT battery stand at MIYASHITA PARK, and Nikka-kun (INFORICH CEO, Hironobu Akiyama) approached me and asked if I would like to join in. I myself am the type of person who can’t relax unless my iPhone is always fully charged, so it’s reassuring to have one nearby. I think that the fact that we are installing it on the roof of MIYASHITA PARK will be useful to many people.

■ Comment from Hironobu Akiyama, President and CEO of INFORICH INC.
We are very happy to celebrate the installation of the first ChargeSPOT outdoor unit in the Japanese market at MIYASHITA PARK. We are doubly happy to be able to welcome Hiroshi Fujiwara to install the first unit and to be able to install and launch the collaboration with fragment design right in front of the Starbucks that he designed himself. Thank you very much. ChargeSPOT will do its best to support you in being stress-free with your battery so that you can spend a long and relaxing time at MIYASHITA PARK, a trendy spot in Shibuya. We will continue to strive to provide ChargeSPOTs that are suitable for your location and convenience. Please look forward to it.

■ About Shibuyakuritsu Miyashita Park　
Address: 〒150-0002　1-26-5 Shibuya, Shibuya Ward, Tokyo
Opening Hours: Park: 8:00~23:00, Sports Installation: 9:00~22:00 (Reception until 21:30)
Website: https://www.seibu-la.co.jp/park/miyashita-park/