Test runs for a restroom stall reservation system available through the LINE free messaging app were conducted at the Joinus Yokohama shopping mall in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture.
The system QREA, developed by a startup company in Saga Prefecture, is designed to not only reserve individual restroom stalls, but also remotely lock and unlock stall doors.
The service's main target is the one in 10 Japanese people who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Sotetsu Building Management Co., the shopping mall's operator, participated in the system's trial runs with the hope that it will possibly relieve restroom congestion and also help in prevention of the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Users can reserve stalls by first, registering the QREA account as a friend on the LINE app. After arriving at the reserved stall, the door can then be unlocked via the app. The reservation is lost if not used within 10 minutes.
The trials ended Aug 30.
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