The man who knows the most about food distribution in Japan emphasizes the importance of temperature control for the safe distribution of fresh, delicious fish at a low price. This time I interviewed Mr. Ryohei Nomoto, President of Haneda Ichiba Co., Ltd. who is the driving force behind a system that distributes fish caught in the countryside to the Tokyo metropolitan area with the same freshness as the source.

The Shibuya area of Tokyo, is a well known bustling area lined with all types of shops, restaurants and bars where the younger crowd walks the streets, but deep within this area is an area known as “Oku-Shibuya”. In this area, away from the hustle and bustle of the busy shopping district, there is a cheese shop that produces and sells freshly made mozzarella and other cheeses. It is called “& CHEESE STAND”. The impetus for this interview came from a tweet on Twitter by the company’s president, Mr. Shinji Fujikawa. We noticed that “Ondotori” were being used during the cheese production process to check and manage temperature. We immediately called them for an interview, and they agreed to talk with us, which led to this installment of Ondotori-ism. Actually they have 3 shops: the “SHIBUYA CHEESE STAND” and “& CHEESE STAND” in the Shibuya Ward and the “CHEESE STAND LAB.” in the Setagaya Ward. This time we visited the “& CHEESE STAND”, a small production space and shop in Tomigaya, Shibuya Ward, not far from Yoyogi Park, to talk with them. Date April 19, 2022 Place & CHEESE STAND Models in Use TR-71wb Purpose Temperature management during the cheese

The Obaku sect is one of Japan’s three major Zen Buddhism sects with its head temple Manpuku-ji located in Uji City, Kyoto. Manpuku-ji was founded about 350 years ago. The main building survived a number of natural disasters and the ravages of war remaining as was founded and has been designated as an important national cultural property. The temple also houses several treasured articles which have been designated as important cultural assets as well. We heard that our data loggers were being used in their “Bunkaden” building where these treasures are stored and exhibited, so we took a trip to Uji to find out more about how they are using our loggers. We spoke with Mr. Nobutaka Hisatsune, the main priest at Manpuku-ji. * Zen is a type of Buddhism which stresses the use of meditation as a way of training and finding enlightenment. Date: February 28, 2019 Place: Obaku Manpuku-ji Temple (Uji City, Kyoto) Models in Use: RTR-500NW, RTR-503, RTR-574-H Purpose: Managing temperature, humidity and illuminance of treasured property Q: First of all, could you give us a short introduction to Obaku Manpuku-ji Temple (from here Manpuku-ji)? Mr. Hisatsune: Of course. Manpuku-ji was founded about 350 years ago in

The logistics industry is an area where the performance and functionality of T&D’s wireless data loggers have been found to provide great advantages. This time, we visited DP Network Co., Ltd. a transportation company specializing in the transport of pharmaceuticals, to hear their story. Date: July 2019 Place: DP Network Corporation Models in Use: RTR-500MBS-A, RTR-502L Purpose Managing temperature during transportation of pharmaceuticals. Q: First of all, can you give us a brief introduction of DP Network? A: Dia Pharmaceutical Network (DP Network) was established on November 1, 2011 as part of the Mitsubishi Logistics Corporation as a specialized pharmaceutical transportation company to further enhance the quality of pharmaceutical transportation and delivery. Based on Japan’s application to join the Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme or PIC/S, we decided that in the future transportation following GDP guidelines would be necessary in Japan, and so established a nationwide transportation and delivery network that would comply with GDP requirements. At the time, Japan did not have any standards like GDP, so I went to Europe, which was at the forefront of this field, to study. I believe we were the first in Japan to start GDP-compliant transport. DP Network with a “G” added is

For storage of Covid-19 vaccines, the most important part is temperature management. So, how exactly is temperature managed for this most precious vaccine? We decided to speak with the International Medical Center of Saitama Medical University in Hidaka City, Saitama Prefecture, about how they are managing temperature for Covid vaccines. We interviewed Mr. Asami, Manager of the Pharmaceutical Department, and Mr. Yoshizawa of the General Affairs Section of the Administrative Department. This is the second time we have visited the Saitama Medical University International Medical Center for our Ontorism blog. We sincerely thank them for sharing their time and important story with us. Date: December 2021 Place: Saitama Medical University International Medical Center Models in Use: RTR-500NW, RTR505B Purpose For Covid-19 Vaccine Temperature Management Q: Can you tell us about the effects or changes that the Covid pandemic has brought to your hospital? Mr. Asami: The list is endless, but from the standpoint of the pharmaceutical department there have been shortages of medicines and delivery stoppages as well. One medicine has been found to help prevent thrombosis in Covid patients and hence we are reluctant to use it as we had before in non-Covid cases. For the hospital as a

Miyasaka Brewery located in Suwa is one of Nagano’s leading sake breweries and is well known for its brand called “Masumi”. Every year fans from across the country look forward to the release of Masumi’s shinshu (sake nouveau) named “Arabashiri”. Miyasaka brewery has been using T&D data loggers for a number of years to manage temperature during the brewing process. So we paid them a visit at the beginning of the pressing of this year’s sake to talk with Executive Master Brewer Mr. Kenji Nasu, and Fujimi Master Brewer Mr. Atsushi Nakano about how they are using our products. Date November 2019 Places Miyasaka Brewing Co., Ltd. Fujimi Brewery: Fujimi-shi, Suwa-gun, Nagano Prefecture Suwa Brewery: Motomachi, Suwa-shi, Nagano Prefecture Models in Use TR-71wf, TR-52, RTR-71, etc. Purpose Mainly for temperature management during the making of koji (malted rice) for brewing Q: First of all, can you tell us a little about your sake brewery? Mr. Nasu: It was founded in 1662 as a small scale local brewery. A major turning point came in 1919 when the current president’s grandfather, Masaru Miyasaka, selected a 28-year-old named Chisato Kubota to be brew master. The story goes that the two of them went

A project is currently underway in Peru to help alleviate health issues associated with the use of biomass fuels. T&D data loggers are being used in this important project. Project Period September 2019 – February 2020 Place Puno, Peru In the southeastern part of Peru there is an area called Puno. It is known for being the birthplace of Inca civilization and the famous lake Titicaca. Seventy percent of the land is in the Andes Mountains and above 3,800m (12,460ft). Many families in the mountainous areas use lama manure and so on for cooking fuel. Many people may view the use of such biomass fuels as a kind of recycling that is part of a natural lifestyle and good for the environment. However, the carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide generated from biomass fuel pollutes the air in and around the house and can be harmful to the health of women and children who are involved and nearby while cooking. A research team from Johns Hopkins University is working on a project to help solve this health problem. The team is conducting a study into using the combination of LP gas and a heat-retaining cooking bag as an effective and healthy

Kunōzan Tōshō-gū Shrine in Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture, built for enshrining Tokugawa Ieyasu as its main deity, was the first of the Tōshō-gū Shrines built in Japan. We got word that T&D products were being used to monitor and manage temperature and humidity in exhibits at the museum attached to the Kunōzan Tōshō-gū Shrine and decided to find out more. We sat down and talked with Ms. Miyagijima, a curator and licensed Shinto priestess, who is in charge of of data logging for the museum. Date December 04, 2018 Place Kunōzan Tōshō-gū Museum in Shizuoka Prefecture Models in Use TR-72Ui (14 units) Purpose Temperature and humidity management of museum materials and exhibits Q: First of all, can you tell us a little about Kunōzan Tōshō-gū Museum? The museum houses about 2000 pieces, including personal items of Tokugawa Ieyasu, as well as a large collection of swords and armor from throughout the period of the Tokugawa shogunate. We have probably the most extensive collection of armor from successive generations of anywhere in Japan. Q: How did the all of these important historical pieces from Ieyasu and the armor come to be here? All of the pieces were given over as offerings

In Jan 2019, we had the pleasure of talking with three members of the Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, a world class hospital known not only for its high quality of medical standards and service but for its state-of-the-art facilities. We spoke with Mr.Makabe, the deputy manager of the pharmaceutical department, Mr.Taji the technical director for the central clinical laboratory and Mr.Yoshizawa, the chief of the purchasing department about their recent decision to purchase T&D products for the systematic management of their important temperature data. Read more below about what influenced their decision to implement this approach and the benefits they have gained. Date Jan 16, 2019 Place Saitama Medical University International Medical Center Models in Use Base Station: RTR-500NW (30 units)Temperature Data Loggers: RTR-502L and RTR-505PtL (total of 110 units) Purpose Temperature management of pharmaceuticals, specimens, blood products, and foodstuff. Q: Can you first give us a short introduction to the Saitama Medical University International Medical Center? Mr. Yoshizawa: The International Medical Center covers the whole area of Saitama prefecture and is dedicated to providing advanced specialized medical care for such diseases as cancer and heart disease, as well as offering life-saving emergency medical treatment including cases of