Dentsu and Heibonsha Release the "72 Seasons" Calendar Application in English to Enhance Enjoyment of the Awareness of Seasonality in Japan

Dentsu Inc. (TOKYO: 4324) (ISIN: JP3551520004) (President & CEO: Tadashi Ishii; Head Office: Tokyo; Capital: 74,609.81 million yen) announced today the release of the "72 Seasons -A year seen through the ancient Japanese calendar-” mobile device application developed in collaboration with publisher Heibonsha (President: Mito Shimonaka; Head Office: Tokyo) under their joint project "Beautiful Living Research Lab”¹ that was launched in November 2010. This application, which is available in English, is designed to enhance the enjoyment of visitors to Japan, a country in which people’s lives are closely attuned to the seasons.

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"72 Seasons” is the English version of the free-of-charge "Everyday Life Almanac²” Japanese calendar app for the iPhone, iPad and Android devices which has been downloaded 350,000 times. In the same way as the Japanese app, the English app divides the yearly calendar into the 24 solar terms and 72 seasons that have been used in Japan since ancient times. The calendar is updated approximately every five days. Designed in the format of a traditional Japanese scroll that unrolls horizontally, the commentary explaining the changes in nature is interspersed with haiku poems and content such as photographs of seasonal food and illustrations that enable people to immerse themselves in the Japanese lifestyle and culture. Since it is free of charge, it is the ideal app for people from outside of Japan to learn more about the country’s seasons, and also for Japanese people who would like to introduce Japan to visitors.

Looking ahead, the number of people visiting Japan is expected to increase, and demand for content that can introduce Japan to tourists is also expected to grow. Under the auspices of the "Beautiful Living Research Lab” project, Dentsu and Heibonsha will continue to disseminate Japanese culture worldwide through the "72 Seasons” app, as well as developing it into a new medium for inbound tourism. The two companies also plan to create and market proposals for customized "72 Seasons” content that is tailored to the needs of companies and local governments.

App Description: http://www.kurashikata.com/72seasons/

[About the Dentsu Group]

Dentsu is the world’s largest advertising agency brand. Led by Dentsu Inc. (Tokyo: 4324; ISIN: JP3551520004), a company with a history of 114 years of innovation, the Dentsu Group provides a comprehensive range of client-centric brand, integrated communications, media and digital services through its nine global network brands—Carat, Dentsu, Dentsu media, iProspect, Isobar, mcgarrybowen, MKTG, Posterscope and Vizeum—as well as through its specialist/multi-market brands including Amnet, Amplifi, Data2Decisions, Mitchell Communications (PR) and 360i.

The Dentsu Group has a strong presence in 124 countries across five continents, and employs more than 43,000 dedicated professionals. Dentsu Aegis Network Ltd., its global business headquarters in London, oversees Dentsu’s agency operations outside of Japan. The Group is also active in the production and marketing of sports and entertainment content on a global scale.
www.dentsu.com

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