Tokyu Land Corporation, NTT, and NTT DOCOMO have worked together to install APN IOWN 1.0, the world's first next-generation network in the urban development field, at the Shibuya Sakura Stage. The "IOWN WEEK" event was held over three days last December and featured the IOWN Entertainment Event at the Stage, at which comedians gathered to perform games, rap battles, and comic performances. Meanwhile, the IOWN Web Conference was held at Shibuya Solasta for corporate tenants of the Shibuya Sakura Stage.

1) Presentations

In the opening presentation of IOWN WEEK, Mr. Takehiko Kawazoe, Executive Vice President and Representative Director of NTT, and Mr. Hitoshi Uemura, Executive Vice President and Representative Director of Tokyu Land Holdings, Inc. talked about urban development using IOWN and its future.

At the beginning of his presentation, Kawazoe stated, "In the past, when Japan occupied an important position in the world, it was a world of 'logic of quality.' Then came the era of the 'logic of numbers,' where you could win by sheer numbers, as in the case of Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon ("GAFA") and the large Chinese market. Japanese firms have been trying to fight against this, and these conditions may be disadvantageous for Japan. However, I believe that such an era will not last long. I believe that the era of 'logic of value' will come next. It will be an era in which we all respect and make use of the various values and ways of thinking in the world.

Kawazoe added that IOWN will be the foundation for the next new era. IOWN will enable conductors and performers of classical concerts to perform without delay or transmission lag, even when they are far away from each other. A doctor in a city will be able to perform surgery on a patient in a rural area. It will also enliven the world of e-sports, where delays are not tolerated. In this way, IOWN is a new innovation platform that can overcome the three barriers of time, distance, and energy.

Finally, he mentioned IOWN, which is expanding globally: "To promote the IOWN concept, we launched the "IOWN Global Forum" in January 2020 to collaborate with people around the world. We started with only three companies, but now have 137 companies participating in the forum and are working to create a new world. We hope to use IOWN to create new value in Shibuya Ward with your efforts."

Next, Mr. Uemura took the stage and gave a presentation on urban development using IOWN in Shibuya. Mr. Uemura spoke of his desire to create unique value through DX in Shibuya, the home ground of Tokyu Land Corporation, through urban development.

"In cooperation with NTT Group, we will promote new urban development utilizing IOWN, the world's first next-generation telecommunication service. Shibuya is often seen as a trendy and cutting-edge town where young people gather, but it is also characterized as a cultural and creative center for creators and artists. With the introduction of IOWN, Shibuya will become a town that attracts all kinds of people by providing a state-of-the-art infrastructure environment, attracting more creators and artists, and connecting people with diverse sensibilities, creating superior value and content.

"Construction of Shibuya Sakura Stage was completed at the end of last month as one of the largest complexes in Shibuya, which is undergoing redevelopment that is said to occur only once every 100 years. We hope to make this facility a model case that combines the environment and DX."

2) IOWN Entertainment Event Report

Following the presentations, comedians took the stage at the IOWN Entertainment Event. They then took on various projects utilizing IOWN's technology, which we have detailed below.

・IOWN Experience Game

The first project was "Karada Janken," where participants played Rock-Paper-Scissors using their entire body. Kin-chan of the comedy group Onikoshi Tomahawk and Makoto of Yoneda 2000 were on stage together and were joined by Ai of Yoneda 2000 at another venue.

First, they played Rock-Paper-Scissors using a conventional Internet connection: due to a transmission lag, Ai's movement was not in time with his fellow participants and the game did not go well. Next, however, they switched the line to IOWN and played Rock-Paper-Scissors again... the game went so smoothly that it seemed as if everyone was together on the same stage at the same time.

The next project was "Look This Way" and we saw a match between Lily, the stage manager, and Trendy Angel Mr Saito, who took part from a different venue. As in the previous game, Mr Saito's moves didn't work well due to the delay in the conventional internet transmission. However, as soon as the game was switched to IOWN, the game went perfectly. (Lily won.)

The third project was "Stop Just In Time." The game is simple: Onikoshi Tomahawk's Mr Sakai pours water into a glass placed on his head. Just before it overflows, Toro Salmon's Mr Kubota, who is at another venue, calls out "Stop!" The first challenge was on the IOWN network. Given the flow of events, it seemed as if the water might stop just in time, but Mr. Kubota's "Stop!" was so unique (and weird) that it caused a stir and laughter, leading to a slight spillage of water due to the delay in the network, unrelated to the actual latency. After regaining composure and attempting again, they successfully managed to stop the water just in time. However, when they switched from IOWN to the conventional network to try again, the delay affected their coordination, resulting in water spilling on Mr Sakai's head.

・IOWN Remote Rap Battle

Next was a rap battle between Mr Moriyama on stage and Mr Saito and Mr Kubota at another venue, using IOWN's latency-free connection to create the kind of high-level rap battle you wouldn't usually see from comedians! The audience was greatly excited by the three's impressive techniques and the incredibly smooth progress enabled by the IOWN network.

・IOWN Remote Comedy Duo

Finally, the two members of YONEDA 2000 performed a comic story via IOWN. Makoto on stage and Ai in the other room performed a rhythm story called "Mochitsuki" (rice cake pounding). The two dancers danced and sang while repeating the phrase "Pettanko-Pettanko-Pettanko," which requires more than ordinary comic dialogue to be performed. IOWN's ultra-high speed and low latency technology made it possible for the two performers to deliver their material at a distance from each other. The audience was so interested in the performance that they forgot to laugh, and Makoto blurted out, "They should have laughed even harder!"

After all the events had concluded, we gathered feedback from the comedians. Mr Moriyama was surprised and remarked, "This is amazing. With this, we might not need to gather in person for business meetings or to synchronize our acts." Makoto suggested a new use, saying, "There's no delay, so it might be possible to have leisurely conversations with distant grandparents."

Mr Saito also commented, mysteriously: "Maybe it could prevent missed connections in love."

Thus, the "IOWN Entertainment Event" came to a successful close.

3) IOWN Web Conference Report

IOWN Web Conference was held at Shibuya Solasta for corporate customers who are considering moving into Shibuya Sakura Stage. With the introduction of IOWN at Shibuya Sakura Stage, it is possible to conduct business negotiations with remote partners as if they were present in the room. IOWN's features such as low latency, high-capacity communication, and low power consumption, as well as real-time simultaneous translation, enable the use of a conference room of the future that transcends language barriers.

・Next Generation Remote Meeting Room

IOWN's low-latency, high-capacity communication technology makes it feel as if you are in the same conference room, solving communication issues such as chit-chat and brainstorming, which are barriers to existing remote conferencing.

・Real-Time Automatic Translation System

By implementing automatic translation by AI in the communication process of IOWN, language barriers can be eliminated in a way that only a remote system can do. This is truly an era in which team-play on a global scale is possible.

・Super High-Speed Telecommunications Office Environment

With IOWN's low latency and high-capacity communication, an office can conduct remote conferences with no delay, even in remote locations, and can communicate high-resolution 3D images without data compression.

・Ultra Energy-Efficient even when processing large amounts of data

Disaggregated computing enables tasks that require large amounts of data processing to be performed with overwhelmingly low power consumption compared to conventional systems. It will become the standard for corporate sustainability activities as well as reducing office utility costs.

4) Toward the Future of Town Planning Using IOWN

The introduction of IOWN, a next-generation communication infrastructure, to Shibuya Sakura Stage is expected to trigger a variety of trends, including new office environments and work styles, unprecedented human interaction, and the creation of superior content and new culture. NTT, NTT DOCOMO, NTT EAST, NTT TECHNOCROSS, and NTT AD have planned and executed the IOWN WEEK event to embody new values. NTT will continue to take on the challenge of creating new communities and a sustainable world for people and the planet.

5) Related links

What is IOWN?
https://www.rd.ntt/iown/whats.html

What is the IOWN concept?
https://www.rd.ntt/iown/

NTT IOWN DAY at SOCIAL INNOVATION WEEK SHIBUYA 2022
https://group.ntt/jp/newsrelease/2023/12/14/pdf/231214aa.pdf