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Over the past few decades, elec-tronics has increasingly meshed with mechanics in the automo-bile industry. As technology has advanced, printed circuit boards (PCBs) have become more promi-nent components of the modern automobile. Offering drivers an enhanced driving experience and greater safety, PCBs are es-sential to the operation of every-thing from the windshield wiper, headlights, the car stereo and heads-up display, to the assisted breaking system (ABS), electronic power steering (EPS), electronic ignition system and GPS.

As cars continue to get ‘smart-er’, greener and more connected over the coming decades, adopt-ing AI, IoT and remote sensor technologies, the demand for high-performance, highly reli-able and competively priced automotive PCBs is set to grow rapidly. This means big oppor-tunities going forward for the world’s PCB manufacturers, who have recently been impacted by stagnation in the saturated mo-

bile phone market and a continu-ous decline in the PC market.

One company aiming to pioneer PCB technology in the next-gener-ation automobile is Japan’s Meiko. Since its establishment in 1975, Meiko has developed state-of-the-art PCBs for a range of industries, including automotive, consumer electronics, telecommunications infrastructure, offi ce equipment, home appliances and robotics.

Meiko produces PCBs used in Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, such as EPS, ABS, engine electronic control units, LED headlamps and infra-red cameras. With a very stringent quality standard already defi ned for PCBs used in passenger ve-hicles, Meiko has cultivated extremely reliable technologies over the years, building trust since the 1980s based on its ex-perience and partnerships with the world’s largest automakers.

Going forward the company is focusing on combining its wide-ranging technological strengths in automobile PCBs, smartphone

PCBs and telecommunications PCBs, to develop technology that will power the cars of tomorrow, including autonomous vehicles.

“Our car accessories are used by Toyota, Nissan, Honda, and also by Volkswagen and BMW in Europe. In comparison to smart-phones, car accessories haven’t drastically diversifi ed. However, with the appearance of innovative technologies such as self-driving cars, IoT and more, this will most likely change,” says Meiko’s presi-dent and CEO, Mr. Yuichiro Naya.

“In the near future, automo-biles will grow more computer-ized, so the use of our products will naturally increase. We are currently developing solutions to assist smart cameras, which detect objects, as well as radars for automatic operations.

“We believe autonomous driv-ing is a fi eld poised to grow. While Europe has acquired a head start in this fi eld, I believe that Japan will soon catch back up thanks to its investments. Because IoT sensors are necessary for auto-

driving, I believe it represents great potential for Meiko.”

Meiko entered the PCB mar-ket for both automobiles and smartphones at an early stage. Its accumulated experience and know-how has enabled it to pro-duce high-performance, high-quality PCBs that are not only superior to many of its competi-tors’, but also reasonably priced. Mr. Naya hopes to continue to supply such products in the fu-ture, as we enter the new era of the automobile driven by IoT, AI and sensor technology.

“We believe autonomous driving is a fi eld poised to grow. While Europe has acquired a head start in this fi eld, I be-lieve that Japan will soon catch back up thanks to its investments”

Yuichiro Naya, President and CEO, Meiko

With more than 40 years of experience in manufac-turing high-performance, high-quality, yet competi-tively priced, printed circuit boards, Meiko is poised to put itself in the driving seat of the new IoT and AI-driven era of automotives

J APAN

The PCBs that will power the cars of the future

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Occupying 30 percent of the area of Honshu Island, Japan’s main central island, Tohoku has a wealth of stunning natural landscapes, from the heights of snow-capped mountains peppered with popular ski resorts and natural hot water springs, to the depths of Lake Taza-wa, Japan’s deepest lake which has been made famous as a fi lming lo-cation for “Iris”, a Korean drama series. Here visitors can enjoy a spot of sail-boating and jet-skiing on the lake’s sapphire-blue waters.

Many say that the charms of the Tohoku region, and its six constitu-ent prefectures (Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi and Yamagata), are best displayed in late autumn, when trees erupt in a riot of brilliant color, and some

of the tastiest oysters on the planet are ripe for harvesting. On a year-round basis, one can enjoy the islands of Matsushima, 260 of them, located within a protected bay North of Sendai, in Miyagi prefecture, a famous cruise spot known for its beauty and incredible scenery. They are rated as one of the three most strikingly beautiful natural sights in all of Japan.

But aside from its vast natural landscapes perfect for sporting activities, Tohoku also has some of Japan’s richest cultural heritage. Highlights include: the town of Kakunodate, one of the best places to see an example of a Japanese cas-tle town and Samurai architecture; and the Aomori Nebuta Matsuri festival, a kaleidoscope of color and cacophony of sound that attracts three million visitors from all over Japan every August. Tohoku’s big-gest city is Sendai, site of the Osaki Hachimangu Shinto shrine and or-nate Zuihoden, the tomb of feudal Samurai lord, Date Masamune.

“There are many attractions where you can feel the spirit of the Samurai Warriors in Tohoku. There are several Castles such as Hiro-saki Castle in Aomori, and Shiroishi Castle in Miyagi,” adds Mr. Satoshi Seino, Chairman of Tohoku Tourism Promotion Organization (TTPO).

“Or if you visit Sendai City Mu-seum and see Lord Masamune Date’s armor and helmet, which they say inspired the costume of Darth Vader in the movie Star Wars. Also, there is the Samurai Warriors’ Houses Street in Kaku-nodate Akita, which make you feel as if you were back in the Edo Era of 400 years ago.”

But unfortunately, a lot of To-hoku’s natural and cultural gems remain hidden to the millions of foreign tourists that visit Japan each year. According to Mr. Seino, a mere one percent of the inbound tourists to Japan make their way to the Tohoku region. The authori-ties are aware that attracting more foreign tourists to Tohoku requires stepping up promotion and marketing to position this beautiful, yet unknown, Japanese region on the global tourism map.

“I’m afraid all hidden gems in To-hoku will remain hidden forever un-less we promote them using SNS, video streaming, inviting infl uential bloggers, and so on. We need to make every effort more than ever and keep on going,” says Mr. Seino.

“Going forward, we are taking steps to inform potential visitors of the attractions Tohoku has to offer in the hope that we will enjoy a bigger share of inbound tourists.

Tohoku has many unique attrac-tions, the food is great; we have four very distinct seasons There is so much nature to enjoy and an abundance of green country, as well as a chance to experience the traditional cultures of Japan. With increased promotion both domesti-cally and overseas, we hope to suc-ceed in further promoting Tohoku.”

As Tohoku prepares to welcome more tourists, the authorities are also making efforts to address the language barrier, a problem for most foreign tourists in Japan outside of the three hotspots of Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto.

“The language barrier is a con-siderable obstacle with not enough leafl ets and guides being updated to meet with the new demands. However, efforts are being made to tackle this problem, work is be-ing carried out to produce more tourist-friendly guides and trains have started to make emergency announcements in English,” ex-plains Mr. Seino.

So, as Japan expects to see double the number of current tourist arrivals by 2020, and with the TTPO’s efforts to pro-mote the Tohoku region, it may not be long before the this true hidden Japanese gem is un-earthed. Catch it before it is!

Discovering Japan’s hidden gemOnly one percent of foreign tourists visit Japan’s Tohoku region, a land of varying landscapes, rich cultural heritage, and home to the tomb of Date Masamune, the samurai who inspired the design of Darth Vader’s helmet

“Tohoku has many unique attractions, the food is great, we have four very distinct seasons, there is so much nature to enjoy and an abundance of green country”

Satoshi Seino, Chairman of Tohoku Tourism Promotion Organization

Lake Tazawa

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