One service lets users check when an electric kettle is used. Data from a wireless transmitter attached to the bottom of the kettle is sent in an e-mail to the elderly person’s son or daughter and the company’s Web site. Records are sent twice a day at designated times, but a worried user can ask for the latest data anytime. A lease on an electric kettle with the transmitter costs an initial fee of 5,250 yen (approx £25) and then 3,150 yen (£15) per month.
Read more about this, and the other two initiatives.