Magnets

2023/10/27

Tatsunosuke Kubota

Director, Pip Co., Ltd., General Manager of Product Development Business Division, 2017 Keio Management Training

When people think of relieving stiffness with the power of magnetism, many likely think of Pip Elekiban. Pip was founded in 1908 as Fujimoto Shinji Shoten, a wholesaler of medical and sanitary supplies. Pip Elekiban was developed in 1972 as the company's fourth original product.

The product name is a combination of "Elekiden," a friction-based electrostatic generator associated with magnetism, and "Ban" from adhesive bandages (bansoko). The development began when the developer wondered if magnetism could be applied to specific pressure points for effect. Inspired by how people used to tape grains of rice to pressure points, the developer thought replacing the rice with magnets would be effective. After repeated experiments, it was commercialized as a controlled medical device. A TV commercial featuring a simple interaction between the then-chairman and a celebrity became popular, making the product an explosive hit.

Today, the product is used by men and women of all ages, including mothers suffering from stiff shoulders and young people with severe stiffness from smartphone use. Since it is odorless and not a drug, it can be used by anyone. It is available at drugstores, so please give it a try.

Pip Elekiban® | Pip Co., Ltd.

Miyuri Shirai

Professor, Keio University Faculty of Business and Commerce

We live in an age of information overload. While we can easily access a wide variety of information at any time, processing vast amounts of data is difficult and stressful. Consequently, there is an accelerating bias in information acquisition, where people only access information they value. The influence on consumer purchasing is now greater from the internet and social media than from the four major mass media (TV, radio, newspapers, and magazines). The "magnet effect," where people are drawn to attractive stores or products like magnets, is also often triggered by social media. Stores and products that go viral on social media attract the attention of many consumers and amplify the "bandwagon effect"—the desire to experience it oneself—making the magnet effect far larger than in the past.

As for myself, I am not very interested in social media or trends. I tend to engage in inertial consumption, such as using stores with a good atmosphere and high reliability or purchasing products whose quality I know well. Looking at this, I believe that the magnet that attracts consumers strongly and for a long time, rather than just temporarily, is the strength of the psychological connection with the subject.

Takumi Funato

Project Assistant Professor, Keio University Global Research Institute (KGRI)

When an object is rotated, it becomes a magnet, and conversely, when an object has magnetic properties, it rotates. This phenomenon, called the gyromagnetic effect, was revealed about 100 years ago through the only experiment Einstein ever conducted in his life.

Now, many readers may be hearing about this effect for the first time. That is no surprise. Even if a car engine is rotated at 100 revolutions per second, it only produces an extremely small effect comparable to the Earth's magnetic field, which is why it has not received much attention.

So, why not just rotate it faster? The solution to this challenge was sound waves. Sound waves travel along the surface of an object while drawing small circles.

By using this characteristic to create high-speed rotation of over one billion revolutions per second, we were able to sufficiently draw out the gyromagnetic effect. Furthermore, recent research has revealed that when sound waves are applied to a magnet, electricity is generated due to the gyromagnetic effect. Sound is all around us. The electricity generated by this sound and magnets might enrich our future.

Takeshi Kawase

Professor Emeritus, Keio University; Wandervogel Club Alumnus

GPS navigation using satellite signals provides accurate location information and is widely used as a navigation tool for cars and phones. Although there are regional magnetic declinations (9 degrees west in Sapporo, 5 degrees west in Naha), the magnetic compass, which was once essential for mountain climbing and sailing, is becoming a forgotten tool.

However, over-relying on mobile navigation while climbing can lead to unexpected accidents such as: (1) premature battery depletion, (2) equipment damage from sudden thunderstorms, and (3) mountain route errors due to signal interference in deep forests or valleys. While mobile navigation is very helpful for finding evacuation routes during climbing or disasters, the battery drains surprisingly quickly and the devices are vulnerable to water. Failing to bring a charger or waterproof wrap can lead to serious accidents. Recently, an elderly acquaintance traveling alone got lost on a low mountain and died; one of the causes was reportedly the premature depletion of the mobile battery. Mobile navigation is convenient, but any malfunction can lead to a fatal accident. Traditional magnets and printed maps are still important today as a final means of risk avoidance, and you should always carry them when climbing.