In autumn, Zou-no-hana Park in Yokohama Port, Japan, was illuminated by the Hikari no Mi (Shining Smile Fruit) light-based installation that featured trees adorned with smiling faces drawn by children. Visitors normally take part in person during the annual event to create drawings. Since this was difficult to achieve this year, however, the event took on a new online approach, where Roland DG's UV printers were utilized for the event.

Have you heard about shima-zouri sandals made in Okinawa in southern Japan? They are a type of beach sandal that is considered essential footwear by locals. We talked with a customer located in Okinawa that makes shima-zouri using Roland DG’s UV printer to produce a variety of sandal designs.

Renault DP World F1® Team, previously featured in this blog, spoke about how Roland DG’s remote printing has helped them manage a busy print room from home.

In the world of motocross, sports gear is dominated by vibrant, powerful brand colors like KTM orange, Kawasaki green and Honda red. Netherlands-based motocross graphic expert WLM Design has beta-tested the new Roland DG TrueVIS VF2-640 printer, finding its green and orange ink invaluable in matching these bold, branded spot colors.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread around the world, a mythical Japanese spirit called “Amabie” has become a popular character in Japan. Reputed to ward off sickness and viruses, images of Amabie have been shared widely on Twitter and other social media platforms — you may have already seen them! According to legend, Amabie comes from Kumamoto in southern Japan which is also where a Roland DG customer became one of the first to launch a service for creating custom Amabie-themed key chains using UV printers, making it a great way to boost the #AMABIEchallenge.

Colegio Hogar, a vocational school located in Vigo, Spain, has produced more than 40,000 adults face masks, 1,500 children’s face masks and 15,500 protective face shields in record time thanks to the initiative of its graphic arts department and the latest Roland DG digital technology.