IWATA Sleep Concierge Wins NEDO "GENIAC-PRIZE" Regional Award (PR TIMES)

New customer experience, delivering expertise in sleep and bedding from Kyoto using generative AI, highly acclaimed

IWATA Sleep Concierge Icon

IWATA Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture; Representative Director: Arichika Iwata) is pleased to announce that its AI chat service "IWATA Sleep Concierge" received the Special Award "Regional Award" in the "GENIAC-PRIZE※1" bounty program organized by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) on March 24, 2026.

https://geniac-prize.nedo.go.jp

"IWATA Sleep Concierge" is an AI chat service that addresses concerns about sleep and bedding 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It supports Japanese, English, and Chinese languages, and provides guidance tailored to each customer's situation regarding bedding selection, care methods, and creating a good sleep environment.

【Award Comment】
We are deeply grateful to have received the honorable NEDO "GENIAC-PRIZE" Regional Award.
We believe this award recognizes our success in building a service that leverages our unique expertise while addressing the challenge of labor shortages through the use of AI.
Furthermore, the application of AI is expanding the possibilities for regional companies to deliver value to overseas customers. Moving forward, IWATA will continue to deliver new value through AI while cherishing the sleep expertise we have cultivated over many years.

What is "IWATA Sleep Concierge"?

"IWATA Sleep Concierge" is an AI chat-based sleep consultation service that answers questions by leveraging IWATA's cultivated expertise in sleep and bedding, tailored to each customer's situation.

• Available for consultation anytime from smartphones or PCs
• Can be used with staff on tablets (iPad) in physical stores
• Supports conversations in Japanese, English, and Chinese

With these features, AI takes on some of the roles of a "sleep specialist (experienced salesperson)," aiming to provide customers with an experience where they can access information "the moment they want to ask."

Please access it from the icon in the bottom right corner of the following URL:
https://iwata-online.com

Main Benefits & Features for Customers

1. Consult anytime, casually, 24/7

Even at night, in the early morning, or on holidays, you can consult immediately about anything that comes to mind. This reduces stress like "I have to wait until the store opens to ask" or "I'm too busy to call during business hours," helping to quickly resolve concerns about sleep and bedding.

2. Multilingual chat supporting Japanese, English, and Chinese

Not only Japanese customers but also international visitors and overseas residents can consult in their familiar language. Even in stores without multilingual staff, AI support on tablets enables smooth and reassuring customer service.

3. Expert content explained clearly in simple language

AI explains specialized and often complex information about sleep in simple, easy-to-understand terms. It supports you through specific bedding choices tailored to your needs, covering topics like "types of bedding," "seasonal selection," and "material differences."

4. A partner for continued use, not just a one-time purchase

In addition to pre-purchase consultations, we also respond to post-purchase care and maintenance inquiries, such as "how to dry and care for futons" and "how to wash down comforters and pillows." It functions as a "sleep companion" to help you use your bedding comfortably for a long time.

5. Hybrid customer service experience with AI and human staff

AI handles the initial response, carefully listening to the customer's situation and concerns, providing information, and suggesting product categories. If more in-depth advice is needed, it is designed to naturally connect customers to in-store specialists with phrases like, "For more detailed consultations, our in-store specialists will be happy to assist you."

Image of in-store utilization

At IWATA's physical stores, we plan to make "IWATA Sleep Concierge" available via tablet devices (iPad).

• First-time customers can organize their sleep tendencies through dialogue with AI.
• Based on those results, staff propose optimal bedding while trying it together.
• After purchase, customers can access the same AI chat from home to inquire about care or additional purchases.

In this way, you can receive consistent sleep support through a hybrid of AI and in-store specialists. Especially for international customers, it will be a reassuring partner, allowing them to hear explanations in their familiar language while trying out bedding on the spot.

Company Profile

IWATA Co., Ltd.
Location: 701-2 Osaka Zaimoku-cho, Saga-cho-dori Anekoji-sagaru, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8102, Japan
TEL: 075-211-8321 FAX: 075-211-7537
https://www.iozon.co.jp