Battery-free Illuminated Paper Fan a Summer Hit in Japan

On May 26, 2005, Nissin Electric Co., a Japanese electric appliance manufacturer, released as its annual summer offering a line of flat, round paper fans (uchiwa) that light up thanks to an internally installed power-generating mechanism using piezoelectric technology. This fan series was called "Yoimachi-hotaru," meaning "a firefly waiting for the evening."

The series has three slightly different picture patterns featuring several types of fireworks, a common sight in the summer night sky in Japan, named "Himawari (Sunflower)", "Shidare (Shower)" and "Tenjin Festival," after a well-known fireworks display in Osaka. The dynamic illumination of the fireworks illustrations on the fans is powered with stored electricity generated from fanning the fan. The fans cost 1,995 yen (approximately US$18) each.

http://www.kyoto-kci.jp/

Posted: 2005/09/29 09:33:16 AM
Japanese version