——Why did you decide to utilize Web3.0 in establishing the 'Hikone Brand' in the entertainment sector?
Yamamoto Yasuhiro (hereafter, Yamamoto): The initiative dates back over two years ago. Hikone City is known for content such as 'Hikone Castle' and 'Hikonyan'. At that time, we were exploring how we could effectively utilize these assets. It was around then that Web3.0 technology began to gain attention, sparking discussions about its potential application.
Subsequently, Hikone City's Mayor Hiroyuki Wada (at the time of the interview) attended an exhibition where he had the opportunity to speak with the team behind the NFT game 'Elemental Knights Online'. This meeting proved to be a significant catalyst.
This was the initial step that led to discussions about leveraging each other's content to collaborate on something together, eventually resulting in a formal partnership and the launch of specific initiatives. Had it not been for meeting the 'Elemental Knights Online' team, the series of Web3.0-related initiatives might never have been realized.
