Japanese electronics companies use their cutting-edge technology in a bid
to replace conventional paper with hi-tech and eco-friendly
"e-paper."

TOKYO, JAPAN (APRIL 16, 2008) REUTERS -

 With state-of-the-art technology, Japanese are starting to bid
sayonara to traditional newspapers.
    Japan, renowned for its ink printing and paper making, is bringing
cutting-edge technology to paper. E-paper is set to be the answer to saving
paper. It is a flexible electronic display mimicking the real thing. It was
the highlight during a high-tech expo in Tokyo this week.
    Long predicted to replace traditional notebooks and newspaper pulp,
e-paper is still used mainly in niche products.
    Japanese firms such as Fujitsu and Sony have already used
electrophoretic display, or EPD, for everything from watches and mobile phones
to e-readers. Limited color displayed on the screen, lower power usage and no
paper consumption are just some of the conservation benefits to the
product.
    "This is going to be a new kind of personal tool that businessmen
would carry in their bags. It will be yet another powerful tool after the cell
phone," said Yoshiaki Kageyama, director of Fujitsu's e-paper division.
Fijitsu has recently developed color and flexible e-paper, seen as key to open
the door to e-magazine and newspapers publishing and making.
    E-Ink, which manufactures Sony's Reader tablet, says consumers will
also migrate to the technology based on higher paper and energy costs.
    "The BRIC nations like India and China are consuming so much paper
as their economies expand that the cost of A4 size paper is up 20 to 30
percent. As people try to wean pulp paper use as soon as possible, the push
for electronic paper is going to intensify," said Ryosuke Kuwada, vice
president for E-Ink corporation's Asia pacific region.
   EPD sends electronic charges along a grid embedded in the paper that
cause tiny black and white particles to move, creating text and images.
   Also in the spotlight at the Display 2008 expo in Tokyo were new 3-D
displays that do not require viewers to wear cumbersome 3-D glasses.