SUITA (Osaka Pref.): Major Japanese electronics group Panasonic Holdings Corp. is set to fully open Suita Sustainable Smart Town in the city of Suita, Osaka Prefecture, western Japan, on April 29.

All of the electricity consumed in Suita SST will be effectively produced using renewable energy sources, the first such feature in Japan, according to the company. Members of the media were allowed to view the smart town on Friday.

Suita SST was developed jointly with firms including Kansai Electric Power Co..

“The important thing is for Suita SST to continue developing to help boost the value of the area,” Panasonic Holdings Group CEO Yuki Kusumi told a press conference on Friday.

The smart town, constructed on a 2.3-hectare site, has a total of 362 housing units, including those for families, elderly people and people needing home-care services, to allow residents of many generations to live a comfortable life, the company said. It also has a group home for people with dementia and child care facilities, and offers a bicycle-sharing service. Residents have already started to live in the town.

JIJI Press