# Energy-Generating Subway Station Floors East Japan Railway Harvests Power from Commuters By Marissa Brassfield | Published 2008-12-12 | Eco Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/east-japan-railway-subway-floor-kinetic References: [techon.nikkeibp.co.jp](http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20081204/162357/) & [jreast.co.jp](http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/) We've seen energy-generating dance floors, gyms and revolving doors, but the [kinetic energy floors](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/transmutation-observatory) in testing at [East Japan Railway Company's](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/e10-shinkansen) Tokyo station take passive energy one thrilling step further. This Tokyo subway station is perennially among the busiest in the world. The 25 square meters of piezoelectric energy-generating floors; the heavy foot traffic to Tokyo Station will yield 1,400kW/sec per day. That's more than enough clean power to run the automatic ticket gates and electronic display systems, according to [Tech-On](http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20081204/162357/). Check out the video above to see typical rush-hour foot traffic at Tokyo Station and grasp the immense potential of these kinetic energy-generating floors. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 5.1/10 - Popularity: 51% | Activity: 93% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Eco](https://www.trendhunter.com/eco) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Kinetic Energy-generating Floors:** The trend of using kinetic energy to generate electricity from floors will disrupt the energy industry and inspire innovation in building design. - **Piezoelectricity:** The trend of using piezoelectric technology will disrupt the energy industry and encourage innovation in the fields of materials science and engineering. - **Passive Energy Generation:** The trend of generating electricity from passive energy sources will disrupt the renewable energy industry and promote innovation in energy efficiency. ### Where This Applies - **Energy:** The energy industry can disrupt its own business model by investing in kinetic energy-harvesting technologies that use subway stations, sidewalks and high-traffic areas. - **Materials Science:** Materials scientists can disrupt traditional building materials by developing piezoelectric materials that are transparent, durable, and can be integrated into a variety of structures and surfaces. - **Urban Planning:** The urban planning industry can disrupt its traditional approaches to city design by incorporating passive energy-generating technology into sidewalks, bike lanes, and outdoor pedestrian areas. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Hyper-Fast Charging Stations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/charging-station-1.md) - [Energy-Hauling Battery Tankers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/battery-tanker.md) - [Energy-Generating Park Sculptures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/energy-park.md) - [Regenerative Drive Mechanisms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mag-drive.md) - [Efficient Energy Harvesting Tech](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/efficient-energy-harvesting.md) - [Sensor-Equipped Running Track Prototypes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nextgeneration-sports-flooring.md) - [Grid-Connected Pavilions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/solar-electric-pavilion.md) - [Design-Conscious Power Stations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/solidstate-portable-power-stations.md) - [3D-Printed Train Station](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hatsushima-station.md)