Childcare starts with good air

Osaka Children’s Home opened in 2019 as the first large-scale accredited childcare center in the Osaka area of Kakegawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. The facility, comprised of buildings for each age group, plus an administration center, accommodates 254 children and 44 staff members.

One year prior to our opening, we set up a planning room to prepare for becoming operational. Among the many things we examined were options for our air-conditioning system. Cleaning conventional air-conditioner filters requires using a stepladder to access the unit. This posed a problem for our mostly female staff, especially given the facility’s large size.

In addition, staff expressed concerns about having to service unfamiliar machinery on their own in case of a malfunction, an issue the Group had experienced in the past. To minimize any such issues, we chose Panasonic, a trusted brand with high-quality solutions. Now our staff can devote their time to doing what they do best, knowing that they can call on Panasonic for help whenever necessary–valuable support that is greatly appreciated.

With the nanoe™ X air conditioning system in operation ever since we opened, I cannot recall a single child coming to complain of red or itchy eyes. We are all pleasantly surprised by this and relieved to know that our school’s air is so clean.

Current social distancing requirements have made it challenging to hold assemblies and sports days, even though these are indispensable for children’s psychological development. But along with dividing classes into groups and staggering activities, the air purification provided by the nanoe™ X air conditioners has made it possible to continue with some events.

Air purification has also reduced cafeteria odours, which had been a source of annoyance to the staff. Personally, I never gave it much thought, but you could say that thanks to nanoe™ X the issue never occurred to me. Everyone here is very pleased with our decision to improve air quality through the choice of air conditioning featuring nanoe™ X technology.

Osaka Children’s Home looks after children from 7am until 7pm. This makes for a long day, and it is important that every child stay happy, healthy and engaged throughout. The younger children (0-2 years) are at an age where nap time is essential, and noises can disrupt their rest. But the air conditioners are so quiet that staff will often look at the vents to make sure it is actually running. The remote controls are also extremely user friendly, with large buttons and text.

It makes us feel really good to see all the children with happy faces at the end of the day.