NEOS Vol.92 Topics

NEOS Topics

　Vol.92

■ 　Registration of Outdoor Advertising Agencies　■

Registration of outdoor advertisers started in full scale all over Japan - Applications to the Tokyo Government Office will be lumped together at AJNA Tokyo Branch.

   As reported in our autumn issue, revised outdoor signage regulations became in effect in December, last year. Local ordinances are being revised accordingly and registrations under the new ordinances have started in most areas. The Tokyo government started accepting applications on October 3rd.
   It is mandatory for all businesses that conduct outdoor advertising in Tokyo to register by September 30, 2006 under the new ordinance. The details of the changes can be seen in the government home page, but member companies can have registration assistance provided by Kanto-Koshinetsu Branch of the All Japan Neon-sign Association. The Branch will combine the applications of each member companies and will register them with the Tokyo Metropolitan office as a service.
   As for the Tokyo area, the home page address is as follows:
    http://www.toshiseibi.metro.Tokyo.jp/kenchiku/koukoku/index.html.
   As of October 1st, the introductory status of new ordinances by each local government is as follows:

■ Accepting applications: Prefectures of Miyagi, Akita, Yamagata, Fukushima, Tokyo (Started on October 3rd), Yamanashi, Gif, Shizuoka, Shiga, Hyogo, Nara, Wakayama, Okayama, Kagawa, Ehime, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Miyazaki and Cities of Hakodate, Akita, Koriyama, Iwaki, Nara, Wakayama, Okayama, Kurashiki, Takamatsu, Matsuyama, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Miyazaki, Sendai, Chiba, Kyoto, and Kobe (Total of 18 prefectures, 13 core cities and 4 ordinance-designated cities)
■ Scheduled to start accepting applications on January 1, 2006: Prefectures of Iwate and Tokushima (Total of 2 prefectures)
■ Scheduled to start accepting applications on April 1, 2006: Prefectures of Hokkaido, Tochigi, Toyama, Ishikawa, Nagano, Aichi, Mie, Kyoto, Kochi, Oita and Cities of Asahikawa, Kanazawa, Nagano, Kochi, Oita, and Sapporo (Total of 10 prefectures, 6 core cities and 1 ordinance-designated city)

■ 　“Signboards Are Safe Against Earthquake”　■

   The possibility of falling signboards during an earthquake was properly explained to the Shinjuku Ward Office. It was brought up at the Shinjuku Ward Assembly that falling signboards in case of an earthquake could be a great concern since 73 boards were placed above the sidewalk between the Alta Building and the 3-Chome Crossing along Shinjuku Ohdori street, one of the busiest business districts in Japan.
   In response to the request made by the Environmental Civil Engineering Section of the Shinjuku Ward Office, Mr. Hiroyuki Ono, Vice Chairman of the All Japan Neon-sign Association, visited the office on September 27th to explain the safety of the signboards in detail.
   In his explanation, Mr. Ono pointed out that responsible businesses such as members of the All Japan Neon-sign Association would adopt thoroughgoing measures and place boards strong enough to meet the construction requirements by law for resisting wind and earthquakes even for boards placed under 4 meters in height that are exempt from the law. He also pointed out that most signboards attached to buildings stayed tightly attached when the buildings collapsed during the Hanshin Earthquake, therefore, their concern should be minimum. The Office understood the situation.

■ 　LED Symposium in Tokyo　■

   The symposium for LED, a new generation light source that is in the limelight, titled “Investigate the Future of LED” was held on Friday, November 4th in Tokyo sponsored by the LED Lighting Promotion Conference and supported by the All Japan Neon-sign Association and other related organizations.
   A total of 360 attendants were counted at the venue, Tokyo Kaiun Club, including Mr. Junzaburo Itano, Chairman of the All Japan Neon-sign Association, and 40 members from that association.
   The following were the themes and lecturers: “Feasibility of LED ? Introduction to New Application” by Prof. Kensei Okamoto of Kagawa University, “Visible Optic Communication Using LED” by Prof... Masao Nakagawa. of Keio University, “New Applications of LED Lighting in Construction Space” by Mr. Kaoru Mende, lighting designer, and “New Applications of LED Lighting in Signs and Displays” by Prof.. Ryozo Takeyama, of Toyama University.