VoIP and RFID party down in Japanese dressing rooms

Full points for effective buzzword usage here: Japanese department chain Mitsokoshi is implementing a new system in their dressing rooms that allows patrons to scan RFID-tagged items and then use a VoIP phone to check inventory and call for other items to be brought. The whole system is tied into Mitsokoshi's Point Of Sale system to have real-time info on inventory, and since most of the system is based on Cisco phones the installation costs about $700-800, instead of $20,000-25,000 for a similar setup based on touchscreen kiosks. When an RFID-equipped clothing item is scanned, different sizes, colors and similar product show up for selection on the 5.6-inch touchscreen of the phone, and picking up the phone to call for help is a bit more discreet than shouting out your ever expanding waist size over the dressing room wall. The setup is being provided by Litescape, who claims to be already demonstrating to US retailers such as Abercrombie, Home Depot, the Gap and Virgin Mega -- so maybe we won't have to be too far behind Japan in this regard. Go USA.

[Via RFID in Japan]

[Ben @ Aug 22nd 2006 4:43PM]

Well at least the girl is hot.

[Ketsuke @ Aug 22nd 2006 5:13PM]

Damn, that picture actually makes me miss my time in Japan. Although she is exhibiting a bit of fashion sense (and does not have a flat butt) unlike most of the girls I remember talking to and seeing, they usually were into the whole 80's Madonna look. oh well.

[Ketsuke @ Aug 22nd 2006 5:14PM]

And yes, she is Smokin' hot

[Jeff @ Aug 22nd 2006 5:16PM]

Duh. Of course she's hot. She's from Japan. They make everything better over there. Everything.

[Rod @ Aug 22nd 2006 5:28PM]

That girl's butt... stunning.

[Ketsuke @ Aug 22nd 2006 5:29PM]

Yes, that is true to a certain degree. I remember one time in a Starbucks (yes, in Japan of all freakin' places... man they love the damn place!) I was trying to keep this girl's eye as she was really cute, and seemed friendly even to me, a damn gaijin; that is until she smiled.... oh the horror! I could see that about 4 years of dental work plus who knows how much cash could maybe put a dent on the disaster I saw that day. Suffice to say, I kinda found a way to leave without making it too obvious to her and anyone that was looking. Did not want to embarrass the poor thing.
Now that I am back here and see the amount of grossly overweight Americans, maybe I should have taken a chance with ol' longtooth in Japan. Oh well.

[Dave @ Aug 22nd 2006 5:35PM]

Well SAID Ketsuke, I visited Japan 2 years ago and I definitely saw a lot of flat asses...nothing like this anyways... HOT CHICK!!!

[Kjhobin @ Aug 22nd 2006 6:01PM]

Wouldn't it work just as well using the bar codes already on the clothes???

[Will @ Aug 22nd 2006 6:13PM]

Isn't it Mitsukoshi?

[AD @ Aug 22nd 2006 6:34PM]

Just echoing the obvious - that's the best asian butt I've ever seen. It's gotta be an illusion.

[Tom @ Aug 22nd 2006 6:43PM]

You wouldn't need RFID to accomplish this. Bar codes are perfectly capable to providing a POS system with enough info to give the customer annoying/useful suggestions of what else to buy. Seems like a pointless waste of money to do something that can be with older technology. Kinda dumb.

[Scott @ Aug 22nd 2006 6:50PM]

I for one welcome our Junk-in-the-trunk bearing Asian Overlords.

[PPB @ Aug 22nd 2006 6:55PM]

How you have all missed the obvious regarding the wonderful butt. It's all done with mirrors. Look carefully in the mirror "behind" her (no pun intended), isn't that really J Lo? :-)

[daddycool @ Aug 22nd 2006 7:02PM]

Where'd they find a Japanese chick with a backside like that?? I'm pretty sure 99% of them have the ironing board thing going on. Good find. Oh yeah, RFID, cool.

[LLShibata @ Aug 22nd 2006 7:03PM]

Thank god for this!!!
Now I don't have to stand around and wait when my girl tries on a dress and forcing me to get a different size if the current one don't fit.

P.S. - Ketsuke - I'll take a bad dental work over fat american anyday! At least they got better teeth compared to the Brits, right?

[Chris @ Aug 22nd 2006 7:21PM]

I hate to be some internet horn-dog, but yeah, shes pretty hot.

[Seamus @ Aug 22nd 2006 7:42PM]

I, too, welcome our sexy Japanese female-robot overlords.

[Ketsuke @ Aug 22nd 2006 7:56PM]

@ LLShibata:

Yes they do have better teeth than some Brits (from my experience, that is) and now that I have been back to the US for a year (July 2005,) I would take her over a fat American chick any day. I mean, I live in Southern Cali, and I still cannot escape the moos....
Specially some of the ones that are in my workplace. I cannot understand the physics at work to hold up such a huge body on a pair of size 6 feet, amazing.

Okay on topic, what is going to happen to the friendly twinks at Abercrombie & Fitch or the queens at the Gap when this technology is implemented? I hear that the gay joint down the road needs some go-go boys....

[ganar @ Aug 22nd 2006 9:18PM]

The name of the store is wrong: it is not Mitsokoshi it is Mitsukoshi Ltd.

[diulei @ Aug 22nd 2006 9:42PM]

Agree with the comments about fat Americans. I live in Cali, and the amount of fat people here shocks me. I mean, cmon, put down the fries every once in a while.

And supposedly, California and its major cities are some of the healthiest in the nation.

Of course, every nation has it's eye candy. The US and Japan are obviously no exception.

[kasei @ Aug 22nd 2006 11:43PM]

I was in Tokyo 3 weeks ago and the place has totally changed from 4 years ago. I lived there for 8 years and I am definitely looking forward to moving back.

[Oddmanout @ Aug 23rd 2006 6:54AM]

Japanese women are the most beautiful breed of women on the planet (IMHO of course...and specific individuals not withstanding). And yes, I visted home (the US) a couple months ago and was shocked by all the obesity. Little wonder I'm extending my stay here in Japan. But given that I am here, now, I gotta ask all ya'll who say this is the first fine asian posterior you've seen...

Do you have neck problems ? Can you not look down ?

The"ironing board" is not hard to find...no, but there are PLENTY of chicks that got it goin' on in back. Unfortunately, the chestal areas are still usually akin to silver dollar pancakes, but if it's only physicalities you're interested in knockers and cabooses most certainly ARE available out here.

The teeth...well...I'll just say it...you couldn't fix most of them with a sledgehammer.

But fortunately for me, I actually like Japanese culture and most Japanese girls personalities.

Oh yeah...did you guys know that ? Not only do some Japanese women have asses ( 1 each) and breasts (really nice ones at that), but they even have minds, hearts and personalities too (really nice ones at that)...

OH...and uh...the gadget...it's uh...pretty cool too...

But heck one way or another...to each their own...

[Destro @ Aug 23rd 2006 8:36AM]

AD said:
"Just echoing the obvious - that's the best asian butt I've ever seen. It's gotta be an illusion."

Or butt enhancement surgery.

I've seen some nice asses on asian women, butt (pun intended) they are few and far between... needless to say I'll be on the look out for this little lady (and others with similar/better posteriors) next itme I visit Japan.

Back dat azz up!

[1337 @ Aug 23rd 2006 2:12PM]

when did home depot put in dressing rooms? and why??

"This tool belt is too small, please bring me a size larger..." LMAO