CHIBA – Corporate Japan's growing need to rely on new technologies to cope with a shrinking workforce was on show at the recently held CEATEC technology exhibition in the city of Chiba, with service industry companies turning out in greater numbers this year. As more and more skilled workers reach retirement across various industries in rapidly graying Japan, businesses are turning to new technologies to hand down field experience and knowledge to younger workers. East Nippon Expressway Co., operator of expressways and toll roads in Japan, is one of the companies adopting "mixed reality" technology as it seeks to boost training of inspection and maintenance personnel. "We are increasingly required by the government to conduct checks on roads but our skilled workers are aging and cannot work at their fullest anymore. So we needed to rely on high tech to share and pass on their know-how to the younger employees," said Masaki Ishiguro, official in charge of maintenance at the firm, also known as Nexco East.