Shopping Guide
The coolest card case ever is here! Denshi-Gihan Co., Ltd. (HQ: Suita, Osaka; CEO: Hiroki Kitayama) used their technology and equipment for designing and producing printed circuit boards and came out with some awesome IC card cases. The LEDs on the cases light up when you swipe them at the ticket gate. They are available at Moeco retail shops and other stores in a total of six types including the “Flash Tokyo Circuit Route Map IC Card Case” with Tokyo’s train and subway network and the “Flash Star Wars Circuit Board Art IC Card Case (X-Wing),” featuring the blueprints of the legendary spacecraft.
Product Background
The idea for creating circuit board merchandise came from an exhibition about designing and manufacturing circuit boards. Along with the exhibition, there was a section decorated with accessories made of discarded circuit boards, and the wires on those items caught the eyes of Denshi-Gihan. They wanted to make something only their company could, and since the Tokyo subway map looked a lot like a circuit diagram, CEO Kitayama designed it himself using ECAD (EDA). They made the circuit board, inserted the components, and the “Tokyo Circuit Route Map Name Card Holder” was born. It was a huge hit with males over 20 and selled well outside the industry, contributing to the company’s business.
This time, they’ve developed IC card cases fully made of circuit board, which holders can enjoy every day while commuting to work or school.
About the 100% Circuit Board IC Card Cases
Designed with ECAD, they are IC card cases made from real circuit boards—consisting of a front, a middle, and a rear layer pressed and glued together—equipped with electronic parts. Each case can house one IC card, and the wiring patterns of the circuit boards feature elaborate designs such as the Tokyo subway routes or the X-Wing from various angles. Since the Flash series puts importance on design, they use via-in-pad technology, and the cases are coated with transparent resin after assembly.
About the Flash Tokyo Circuit Route Map IC Card Case
The wiring on the circuit board features the subway and train routes of Tokyo and the suburb area. The Westernmost station in Yokohama Station, the Northernmost is Omiya, the Easternmost is Nishi-Funabashi Station, and in the South you can see a huge boat floating in Tokyo Bay. The transfer stations have some parts soldered on them, but that’s not all as each case contains a whole arsenal of electronic parts: There is a 2-millimeter LED at Tokyo station, seven 2-millimeter resistances at the seven biggest stations, 1.6-millimeter resistances at 25 largely frequented stations, and 1-millimeter resistances at the other 166 stations. The names of train stations are written with three letters of white silk (e.g. TKY for Tokyo Station). The Tokyo version includes a total of 199 electronic parts.
About the Flash Star Wars Circuit Board Art IC Card Case (X-Wing)
The wiring pattern on this case shows the blueprints of the X-Wing from the top, front, and side, the latter of which is fully drawn with 0.1-millimeter thick wires. The design also features R2-D2, showing his place on the spacecraft. The X-Wing version contains a total of 30 electronic parts.
This product was made by Run’A Co., Ltd. in agreement with Walt Disney Japan.
(Manufacturer: Run’A Co., Ltd. | Distributor: Denshi-Gihan Co., Ltd.)
Highlights
・The LEDs light up without a battery
These cases come with a gimmick that allows for the LEDs to light up upon touching the ticket gate. There is one red LED on each case, which is placed at R2-D2’s position on the X-Wing version and at Tokyo Station on the Tokyo map version. It’s a fun item to have when commuting to work or school, although it is unclear whether it would light up at ticket gates outside Japan (the sole exception being Hong Kong, which uses FeliCa and was already proven compatible). As long as the card is the same size, you can also use it for your company ID or anything you prefer. The light might not be as intense compared to ticket gates, though.
・They’re made from 100% PCB (printed circuit board)
These IC card cases are fully made of circuit boards, a (rather cool) fixation of the makers. They are composed of three layers pressed and glued together: a front, a middle, and a back layer. The circuit boards were printed using FR-4 (a composite material made of woven fiberglass cloth and epoxy resin), a lightweight, resilient material used in vehicle circuit boards and industrial machinery.
・They come with a strap
These cases are made in Japan and they come in gift packaging which also includes a strap to prevent you from losing it. The metallic clip on the strap is black, but the paint is likely to fray where it touches the case as it was made of stronger material.
Product Info
Name: Flash Tokyo Circuit Route Map IC Card Case
Price: ¥9,000 (+tax)
Colors: Green, black, white
Dimensions (approx.): 98 x 62 x 4.5 mm | 3.9” x 2.4” x 0.2”
Weight: 25 g
Electronic Components: 1 LED, 185 resistances, 6 diodes, 7 condensers
Name: Flash Star Wars Circuit Board Art IC Card Case (X-Wing)
Price: ¥11,000 (+tax)
Colors: Green, black, white
Dimensions (approx.): 98 x 62 x 4.5 mm | 3.9” x 2.4” x 0.2”
Weight: 25 g
Electronic Components: 1 LED, 16 resistances, 6 diodes, 7 condensers
Other Designs:
- Flash Kansai Circuit Route Map IC Card Case (green, black, white)
Available from May 27 (Fri.), 2016
- Flash Kyoto Circuit Route Map IC Card Case (green, black, white)
Available from May 27 (Fri.), 2016
- Flash Paris Circuit Route Map IC Card Case (green, black, white)
Available from May 27 (Fri.), 2016
- Flash NY (New York) Circuit Route Map IC Card Case (green, black, white)
Available from late June 2016
Available at:
- Moeco Retail Shop:
http://www.moeco.jp.net/
- Stores:
Tsutaya Books Daikanyama, and more
Future Plans
The London Circuit Route Map and another Star Wars design are scheduled to release around fall.
The circuit board IC card cases will also make an appearance at “Rooms,” a fashion exhibition to be held between Sept. 14 (Wed.) and 16 (Fri.). They will also be displayed at other fashion exhibitions and will likely be available in department stores and select shops in the future.
Source: @Press
