10月22日（木）アサヒビール「未来のレモンサワー」 国内飲料で初の動的意匠取得、BYDの軽EV「ラッコ」 受注2000台超す
Asahi Breweries has registered what it calls a "dynamic design" with the Japan Patent Office for its canned beverage Mirai no Lemon Sour (未来のレモンサワー), making it the first time a liquid has been recognized as a protectable design in Japan's beverage industry. BYD's kei-class electric vehicle "Rakko" (ラッコ) surpassed 2,000 pre-orders roughly two and a half months after launch, the fastest order pace in the Chinese automaker's history. Tokyo Metropolitan Government will begin lending smartphones free of charge to low-income residents in November, covering data costs for up to three months.
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What this episode answers
What is the dynamic design Asahi Breweries obtained for 'Mirai no Lemon Sour,' and why is it a domestic first?
A dynamic design is a design right that protects the visual movement of an object's shape or pattern as it changes; Asahi registered the sequence in which a lemon slice floats up through the liquid inside the can. This is the first time a shapeless liquid has qualified for design protection in Japan, making it an unprecedented case in the domestic beverage industry.
What are the pre-order figures for BYD's kei EV 'Rakko'?
Pre-orders exceeded 2,000 units roughly two and a half months after launch, the fastest order pace in BYD's history, with the top-tier grade accounting for approximately 80% of all orders.
Why is Genki Global Dining Concepts donating relief funds to Yatsushiro City in Kumamoto?
Hirayama (平山), a land-based salmon aquaculture partner of the company located in Yatsushiro City, was damaged by the July 2026 Kumamoto earthquake, prompting Genki Global Dining Concepts to donate ¥1 million to support local fisheries and disaster victims.
What does Yukiguni Factory's 'Kinoko Mirai Lab' in Kawaguchi, Saitama aim to achieve?
The lab will continue research on existing products including the flagship maitake mushroom while using its metropolitan location to collaborate with universities and business partners on new mushroom-derived foods, with expansion of the company's 'mushroom meat' business as a primary goal.
What are the specifics of Tokyo's smartphone support program for low-income residents starting in November?
From November, Tokyo will lend smartphones to low-income residents free of charge for up to three months, with all data costs covered by the city; residents aged 15 or older who complete My Number Card identity verification through the Tokyo App will also receive points worth ¥11,000, accessible even to those who previously had no smartphone.
Asahi Breweries Registers Japan's First Dynamic Design for a Beverage with "Mirai no Lemon Sour"
On October 19, Asahi Breweries announced that it had registered a "dynamic design" (動的意匠) with the Japan Patent Office for its canned alcoholic beverage Mirai no Lemon Sour. The registration covers the sequential process in which a lemon slice floats up through the liquid inside the can. A dynamic design is a category of design right that protects the visual movement of an object's shape, pattern, or other elements as they change over time. Until now, solid objects with fixed physical forms were the primary subjects of such registrations. The recognition of a shapeless liquid as eligible for design protection is entirely without precedent, and it marks the first time any beverage product has obtained a dynamic design in Japan. The case is drawing wide attention from the industry as a landmark example of intellectual property rights being extended to the behavior of a liquid itself.
BYD's Kei EV "Rakko" Surpasses 2,000 Pre-Orders in Two and a Half Months
Sources at BYD have confirmed that pre-orders for the company's kei-class electric vehicle Rakko exceeded 2,000 units approximately two and a half months after launch — the fastest order pace for any model in BYD's history. Broken down by grade, the top-tier variant accounts for roughly 80% of all orders, indicating particularly concentrated demand for the premium configuration. The model is being closely watched as a test case for the broader adoption of EVs in Japan's kei-car segment.
Genki Global Dining Concepts Donates ¥1 Million to Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto
Genki Global Dining Concepts (元気グローバルダイニングコンセプツ), operator of the Genki Sushi (元気寿司) and Uobei (ウオベイ) restaurant chains, announced on October 21 that it will donate ¥1 million in disaster relief funds to Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture. The decision was prompted by damage sustained by Hirayama, a Yatsushiro-based land-aquaculture salmon producer that partners with the company, in the July 2026 Kumamoto earthquake. The funds are intended to support the local fishing industry and aid in the recovery and reconstruction of affected residents.
Yukiguni Factory Opens "Kinoko Mirai Lab" in Kawaguchi, Saitama
Yukiguni Factory (雪国ファクトリー), a major mushroom producer, opened its research base Kinoko Mirai Lab (きのこ未来ラボ) in Kawaguchi City, Saitama Prefecture in July. The facility will continue research on existing products including the company's flagship maitake mushroom, while leveraging its location in the greater Tokyo metropolitan area to deepen collaboration with universities, research institutions, and business partners. The overarching aim is to develop new mushroom-derived food products, with expansion of the company's "mushroom meat" business as a key target.
Tokyo to Offer Free Smartphones and ¥11,000 in Points to Low-Income Residents from November
From November, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government will begin lending smartphones free of charge to low-income residents who cannot otherwise afford one, with all communication costs covered by the city for up to three months. In a parallel scheme, residents of Tokyo aged 15 or older who complete identity verification using their My Number Card through the city's official Tokyo App (東京アプリ) will receive points worth ¥11,000. Crucially, people who previously had no smartphone can borrow one under the lending program and still qualify for the points. The initiative is attracting notice as a combined effort to close the digital divide and provide direct living support.
Today's Business Term: Receiving Capacity (受電容量)
"Receiving capacity" refers to the maximum amount of electrical power that a building or facility can accept from a utility company. For AI-oriented data centers, enormous quantities of power are required to keep GPUs (graphics processing units) running continuously for large-scale computation. Alongside server-rack count and site area, receiving capacity is one of the primary metrics used to assess the scale and capability of a data center.
Takeaways
- Asahi Breweries obtained Japan's first dynamic design registration for a beverage product, with the Japan Patent Office recognizing the movement of a liquid — a shapeless material — as protectable intellectual property for the first time.
- BYD's kei EV "Rakko" hit 2,000 pre-orders in just two and a half months, BYD's fastest-ever order pace, with 80% of orders concentrated in the top-tier grade.
- Tokyo will lend smartphones free of charge to low-income residents for up to three months from November, covering all data costs, while also offering ¥11,000 in points to residents who verify their identity through the Tokyo App.
This article is edited from a machine transcript of the first 30 minutes of the episode. It is not an official summary — please listen to the episode itself.