Vacan Visualizes Congestion at 20 Restaurants in JR Ueno Station/Atre Ueno Using AI Cameras

VACAN Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Takanobu Kono), a company providing services that utilize platforms supporting facilities and areas with its mission to 'connect people and spaces gently with technology' through AI visualization, is pleased to announce the start of congestion visualization for 20 restaurants in Atre Ueno. This initiative is part of an ongoing pilot project by JR East at Ueno Station.

### Background of Implementation
Ueno Station is a major terminal serving a diverse range of domestic and international travelers. JR East has been conducting pilot operations to visualize congestion at 'Midori-no-Madoguchi' (ticket offices) and reserved seat ticket machines to ease overall station crowding and reduce wait times. However, for commercial facilities within the station, it was often difficult for users to know whether a shop was immediately available or how long the wait might be without visiting the site, leading to lost opportunities. Especially given the nature of a station, the inability to know in advance which facilities could be used within a limited time was a challenge for spending time effectively at the station.

Through this project, by distributing congestion information for 20 restaurants in Atre Ueno, the aim is to encourage the leveling of station congestion and shorten wait times. This is expected to increase the freedom of movement and stay for users, thereby improving customer satisfaction.

### Details of the Initiative
Using the congestion information distribution platform 'VACAN,' real-time status is delivered to digital signage and web pages. Congestion is detected using 'VACAN AIS,' which captures queue conditions with AI cameras to collect data.

Users can immediately check the current status via digital signage and the 'UENO TIME' web page. Furthermore, on 'UENO TIME,' users can select their 'current location' and 'available time' to see a list of shops that are 'easy to enter now' based on those conditions. This provides actionable options even for those with limited staying time.

Web page 'UENO TIME' is available here: https://pages.vacan.com/ueno-time

### About the Congestion Information Platform 'VACAN'
Vacan provides 'VACAN,' a platform that can visualize, manage, and distribute congestion status. VACAN integrates and analyzes data acquired from various devices such as cameras and sensors to detect and deliver real-time occupancy and congestion information. It supports a wide range of distribution methods, including digital signage and websites, allowing for optimized detection and delivery based on the location and purpose.

### About VACAN Inc.
- Company Name: VACAN Inc.
- Representative: Takanobu Kono
- Location: 3F Nakarin Auto Bldg., 2-8-4 Shinkawa, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
- Established: June 2016
- URL: https://corp.vacan.com/

Vacan is a company selected for the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's 'J-Startup' program. With the mission 'connecting people and spaces gently with technology,' it builds platforms to update cities and lifestyles through AI-driven congestion visualization. It provides 'Congestion and People Flow Management' and 'Facility and Area Management' services to smartly update space experiences, and operates 'Unveil,' a media platform inside restroom stalls.