Honda Super Cub 50th anniversary edition

Written by: Rebecca Milner on July 30, 2008 at 2:50 am | In Fashion & Lifestyle Trends | 1 Comment

Honda’s iconic Super Cub turns 50 this year and to celebrate the momentous birthday of the top selling motorbike of all time (over 60 million world wide), Honda is releasing a special limited anniversary edition.

The 49cc Cub has undergone numerous updates over the decades and this latest edition will feature the latest engineering and an exclusive color scheme. The Super Cub comes in graphite black with a royal brown seat and the Little Cub in pearl coral reef blue with a reed red seat; both models will feature side covers emblazoned with “50th anniversary.” Available from August 1st, the Super retails for a modest ¥204,750 (about $1,905) and the Little for ¥210,000 (about $1,954).

While Honda’s Cub is used primarily as a leisure bike in the West, in Japan it was originally designed for the service delivery industry. Thanks to its cheap maintenance, easy maneuvering, and high fuel efficiency, the Cub remains a staple of urban life in Japan, perhaps most recognizably as the official mode of transportation of the Post Service.

Tags: Honda, motorcycles, Retro, Transportation
Category: Fashion & Lifestyle Trends
Other categories: Technology & Gadget Trends, Marketing & Ad Trends, Press coverage

Ekipedia highlights train station accessibility

Written by: Michael Keferl on July 18, 2008 at 2:12 am | In Fashion & Lifestyle Trends, Technology & Gadget Trends | No Comments

During our Tokyo Trend Tours, one of the most inevitable questions that arises has to do with train stations. Specifically, “How do elderly and handicapped people get around in Tokyo?!”. It’s not exactly a secret that Tokyo’s train stations can be a bewildering maze of tunnels, escalators, gates, and hordes of people rushing around. It’s also true that very few elderly and handicapped individuals can be seen using public transport in these busy areas due to such hectic conditions.

Of course, Japan’s public transport systems all have easy access, but it’s often difficult to know where you’re going (despite the ubiquitous yellow lines to follow). To combat this problem, an online and mobile service called Ekipedia has been developed as a user-generated information source. Created by the Town Guidance Support Network NPO, Ekipedia clearly outlines the routes, elevators, toilets, changing rooms, and other useful facilities for 704 train stations throughout Japan.

With interactive maps and photos, users can easily know exactly where to go before they get to their destinations, and avoid the chaos that comes with trying to find the best (only?) accessible route. Information can be accessed via mobile phones for planning before arrival, but it can also be updated by users in the same way.

After all, unless they need it, most riders pay little attention to station accessibility, but users of the service are now adding their own insights and information to make the best service for them.

Tags: Accessibility, Aging Society, Ekipedia, Train Stations, Transportation
Category: Fashion & Lifestyle Trends, Technology & Gadget Trends
Other categories: Marketing & Ad Trends, Press coverage