TAGTemperature Control

Many people know “Ondotori” as a data logger for recording “temperature” from its name which includes the word “ondo” or temperature in Japanese. In Japan, our data loggers are often referred to as “Ondotori”. “Ondo” here is Japanese for “temperature” and “tori” expresses a “thing that takes”, so a “thing that takes temperature”. But the name “Ondotori” when using different Japanese characters means to take a leadership role. The name reflects our wish to take a leadership role in the world of data loggers. Although not as well known as our temperature loggers, there are several models in the Ondotori-Series that can measure and record data other than temperature. Using a wide variety of sensors, these models measure and record voltage, current (4-20mA), and pulse signals. They can record these values as noise (dB), wind speed (m/s), rainfall (mm), etc…. Furthermore the measurements can be recorded and saved to the cloud for easy monitoring of these values; making them useful across various industries. In this issue, we would like to introduce a case in which our data loggers are being used for measuring more than just temperature. We visited Kankyo Gijyutsu Center Co., Ltd. in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture, and

What is your favorite ice cream? Is it the one that you always pick up at the supermarket or convenience store? Is it the soft serve you find when taking a trip to somewhere new? Or is it the one you eat under the blue skies on a clear day at the beach? Regardless of the place or brand, there are times when just eating ice cream is enough to soothe you and bring happiness! For anyone visiting Nagano Prefecture, we highly recommend stopping by MDI (Mount Desert Island) Ice Cream. It may well change the ranking of your favorites. MDI ICE CREAM (MDI) was established in Maine, U.S.A. in 2005, and now has three stores in the U.S. and two in Japan. With the motto “making the ice cream we ourselves want to eat,” this brand creates unique ice cream flavors made from scratch with only real ingredients. The first shop in Japan opened in the fall of 2019 on Nawate-dori in Matsumoto City, Nagano, and since then it has been wooing customers every day with their unique artisanal ice cream. In April 2022, they opened their second shop and enlarged production facility in the Azumino area of Nagano,

Tsunagi Onsen is located on the banks of Lake Gosho in the western part of Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture. At the far end of the hot spring is a quintessential Japanese style onsen ryokan called “Tsunagi Onsen Shikitei”. We visited Shikitei to learn more about their use of our wireless data logging system to help in managing the hot spring water temperature. Date July 2019 Place Tsunagi Onsen Shikitei (Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture) Models in Use RTR-500AW, RTR-502 Purpose Temperature management of hot spring water for onsen baths We interviewed the president, Mr. Mase, and Mr. Ito, the front desk clerk, in the lobby of “Tsunagi Onsen Shikitei”. Q: Were you measuring the temperature of the hot spring water before you installed our data logging system? President Mase: Yes, we measured and checked the temperature of the bath at regular intervals. We used a simple stick thermometer and put it in the bath to measure the temperature. Of course, with a thermometer like that you can only get the temperature at that point in time, right? T&D loggers show the progress of the measurement on a graph, so it’s completely different. Shikitei uses the wireless RTR-500 Series. For the remote

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 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

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

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