Full-scale Introduction of "Air Knock," a Service for Suppressing Prolonged Use and Delivering Advertisements, in 1,857 Private Toilet Booths Centered Around the Osaka Umeda Area, Starting Saturday, March 28th

Hankyu Hanshin Properties Corp., Vacan Inc., and Hankyu Hanshin Marketing Solutions Inc. are pleased to announce the full-scale introduction of "AirKnock," a service for suppressing prolonged use of toilets and delivering advertisements, starting Saturday, March 28th. This service involves installing approximately 10-inch digital signage in private toilet booths located in office buildings, commercial facilities, and train stations, primarily in the Osaka Umeda area.

In urban office buildings, commercial facilities, and train station restrooms, improving the usage environment, such as alleviating congestion and quickly identifying abnormalities within private booths, has been a challenge. The "AirKnock" service not only delivers advertisements but also uses sensors to grasp the occupancy status of toilet booths. This allows it to inform users about congestion and occupancy times, and in cases of prolonged use beyond a certain duration, it can issue an alert to facility managers as a safety measure.

This initiative began with Vacan receiving the Excellence Award in fiscal year 2024 at the "Hankyu Hanshin Properties Business Co-creation AWARD," jointly organized by Hankyu Hanshin Properties and the Japan Startup Support Association. Following extensive consideration, a trial introduction began in July 2025 in restrooms in the Osaka Umeda area. As a result, compared to before the introduction, usage exceeding 30 minutes decreased by approximately 47% overall, demonstrating a strong effect in deterring prolonged use. Consequently, the scope of facilities has been expanded for full-scale implementation. The system, which combines the functions of suppressing prolonged use and delivering advertisements using digital signage, will be introduced in a total of 24 facilities, with 1,857 private booths, making it the largest installation of its kind in the Kansai region.

Details are as follows:

■About "Air Knock," a Service for Suppressing Prolonged Use and Delivering Advertisements

Sensors detect the opening and closing of toilet doors, displaying usage time and congestion status during prolonged use, and delivering advertising content during normal times.

＜Main Functions and Expected Effects＞

●Alleviation of Toilet Congestion

By displaying usage time on digital signage within private booths during prolonged use, it encourages users to leave voluntarily, leading to reduced congestion.

●Improved Sense of Security During Use

If a private booth is occupied for an extended period, an alert is sent to facility managers. This allows for early detection of potential accidents, such as sudden illnesses, thereby providing a safe and secure restroom environment.

●Advertisement Delivery with High Visibility Expected

Advertisements can be delivered using approximately 10-inch (15.7cm vertical x 21.5cm horizontal) digital signage installed within private toilet booths. The space within a toilet booth...