Relaxation feature
Interview with a brainLight manager
Setting:
Interviewee: Mr. Fujita, manager
Q1. Tell us about the first time that you came across brainLight products and what made you want to start handling them.
A.DHOWA TECHNOS and brainLight first came together at an exhibition held in Germany in 2010. It was because our President had an immense interest in this system, which provides the user with a relaxation effect by sending light and sound signals from headphones and sunglasses. Frankly, before I actually experienced it myself, I thought, "What's it going to do?" but I can say in all honesty that it felt great and I was able to relax, so I really wanted to popularize it in Japan as well.
Q2. I've never heard of a light and sound relaxation system such as this in Japan. Is it common in Germany?
A.I think that the concept of relaxation is stronger in Germany than in Japan. The build-up of stress is unavoidable in this busy modern society, and I think they put more focus on how they can efficiently relieve that stress. I hear that in Europe, and in Germany in particular, there are many brainLight salons, providing ample opportunity for refreshing relaxation and recovery in a short period of time, so many people use them to provide vitality for their work and personal lives.
Q3. Some may think that this is far removed from the core business of DHOWA TECHNOS and wonder why you are handling the products of brainLight.
A.While Japan and Germany might be rivals in terms of the products and technology related to our core business of manufacturing, when national character and markets are examined, I've always thought that we have many points in common. Because these tools are already popular and highly regarded by famous German businesses, we felt that we could expect demand for them to grow in Japan as well, so we started selling them domestically. Furthermore, due to the revised Industrial Safety and Health Act, a system which mandates stress checks for employees in workplaces with less than 50 people has been operating in Japan since 2014. I feel that Japan is following the example of developed western nations, and the awareness that maintaining or even improving the mental health of workers has a significant bearing on business performance has sunk in here, too. In addition to providing a convenient way for staff to relieve stress during their breaks, I think that brainLight products can be effectively applied as a corporate-led stress relief measure for workers.
Q4. Other than for general businesses, what kind of fields can the products be used in?
A.They can be used in gyms, guest houses, hotels, and hot springs, and even for personal use. One interesting example from Germany is the use of brainLight products in intensive care units.
Q5. So they are also being utilized in the medical field.
Could you tell us more about the intensive care unit example?
A.Patients are already highly stressed when they are admitted to hospital, and those undergoing operations are under even more stress. There is data showing that wearing the brainLight sunglasses and headphones and being subjected to low frequencies and relaxing music while undergoing the operation not only reduces patient stress, but also reduces post-operation pain and hastens recovery.
Q6. What is driving you for the future?
A.Workers in Japan, myself included, face a daily cycle of “tension and relaxation.” Particularly in modern times, there hasn’t been a good way of relieving the tension part of this; the mental burden is prolonged and then even more tension accumulates, resulting in more and more people suffering an accumulation of damage. The goal of offering brainLight is to relieve the stress of Japanese workers even a little, thereby helping to contribute to the realization of a stress-less society.