Web3.0 x Aomori: Integrating NFTs and the Metaverse into Regional Development

Summary

1. Transforming 'Once-in-a-Lifetime' Experiences into Ongoing Relationships through Traditional Culture x Web3.0

At the Aomori Nebuta Festival DAO and Nebuta Festival NFT Collection, participation experiences and cultural assets are recorded on the blockchain through attendance proof NFTs and draft NFTs. This approach aims to form a community where relationships continue beyond the event, moving away from one-time tourism and donations.

2. Exploring a Decentralized Model by Engaging Local and External Talent and Capital through DAOs and NFTs

The Michinoku DAO targets the entire Tohoku region, including Aomori, building a broad community with NFT-based fundraising and potential digital local currencies in mind. This model opens up possibilities for Web3.0-based regional promotion, allowing external participants to engage in decision-making and economic cycles without being confined to local governance or community.

3. Entering the 'Implementation Phase' of Web3.0 in Addressing Social Issues in Education and Sports

The Mutsukko Metaverse addresses absenteeism, while the Brandew Hirosaki FC fan token enhances the relationship between local sports and fans. Aomori's initiatives highlight how Web3.0 is moving beyond mere technological experimentation to become integrated into real-world solutions for education, welfare, and sports.

Located at the northernmost tip of Honshu, Aomori Prefecture is known for its rich natural environment and unique culture. From the summer Aomori Nebuta Festival to its Jomon period history, agriculture symbolized by apples, and community-rooted sports clubs, the region boasts a variety of resources. Recently, these unique assets of Aomori have been leveraged in new ways through Web3.0 initiatives, attracting significant attention.

One symbolic example is the 'Nebuta Festival DAO' implemented during the Aomori Nebuta Festival. A dedicated 'Nebuta Festival DAO App' was prepared, creating a system that allowed attendees to participate in Web3.0 via their smartphones.

By scanning QR codes installed at the venue, attendees could obtain a digital participation certificate NFT, and also post photos taken at the festival, recording and sharing them as NFTs.

▶A pilot experiment conducted during the Aomori Nebuta Festival. The dedicated app allowed visitors to scan QR codes within the venue to obtain digital participation certificate NFTs, and to post and share photos of the festival as NFTs. The aim is to create a community that continues relationships even after the festival by recording the participation experience in traditional events on the blockchain.

Participating companies/organizations: Hitachi Solutions East Japan, Inc., PlatHome Ltd.

This trend is also expanding into governmental policies. In Aomori City, the 'Aomori Nebuta Festival NFT Collection' was introduced as a return gift for hometown tax donations, featuring NFTs of the festival's draft sketches provided to donors.

The draft sketches drawn by Nebuta masters are considered valuable cultural assets, akin to blueprints of the festival, and their uniqueness pairs exceptionally well with the characteristics of NFTs. This initiative, which simultaneously achieves cultural preservation and community support, has been noted as a pioneering example of local governments incorporating Web3.0 into their operations.

▶ As a return gift for hometown tax donations in Aomori City, the initiative to provide NFTs of the Aomori Nebuta Festival's draft sketches has been implemented. The sketches, drawn by Nebuta masters, are valuable cultural assets, akin to blueprints of the festival, and their uniqueness is digitally certified through NFTs, achieving both cultural preservation and community support. This case has garnered attention as a new form of donation experience through digital art.

Participating companies and organizations: Aomori City, SOKO LIFE TECHNOLOGY Co., Ltd., Aomori Television Corporation

Expanding the scope further, there is also an initiative called 'Michinoku DAO' that encompasses the entire Tohoku region, including Aomori. This is a regional economic development community concept that uses the DAO structure to allow people both inside and outside the region to participate in projects, making decisions and circulating funds.

Through a decentralized model unique to Web3.0, such as fundraising with NFTs and considering future digital local currencies, it explores new forms of regional economy.

▶ A wide-area regional economic promotion DAO project targeting the entire Tohoku region, including Aomori. Through initiatives such as fundraising with NFTs and considering future digital local currencies, it aims to build a decentralized community where people inside and outside the region can participate in projects, make decisions, and engage in economic activities. This initiative heralds the creation of a new regional economic model using Web3.0.

Implementing organizations: Sparkle Corporation

In the field of education, initiatives utilizing cutting-edge technologies are evident. The 'Mutsu Metaverse' project in Mutsu City is an attempt to provide a virtual space for learning and interaction, targeting students who are not attending school or who face difficulties in learning.

Students can participate in the Metaverse space through avatars, attend online classes, and communicate with others. A notable feature is the constant presence of support staff within the virtual space, ensuring a safe environment. The use of the Metaverse goes beyond mere technological experience; it is tied to solving social issues such as education and welfare, making it a leading example in regional advancements.

▶ Efforts in Mutsu City, Aomori Prefecture, utilizing the Metaverse for educational support. Targeting students who are not attending school or who face learning difficulties, the virtual space serves as a venue for 'learning' and 'interaction'. Students participate through avatars, enabling them to attend online classes and communicate with others. Support staff are permanently stationed within the virtual space, ensuring a safe environment.

Participating organizations: Mutsu City, TOPPAN Inc., NIJIN Inc.

The sports sector is also advancing in the use of Web3.0. Hirosaki-based soccer club, Brand-New Hirosaki FC, has issued fan tokens, creating a system where fans can participate in club management.

By holding these tokens, fans receive exclusive benefits and participate in club-related voting projects, transforming support into a more interactive experience. The implementation of Web3.0 as a means to support regional sports and community building is intriguing.

▶ Initiatives using the fan tokens issued by Brand-New Hirosaki FC. Token holders can indirectly participate in club management, not only supporting the club but also acquiring exclusive benefits and participating in voting projects. By utilizing Web3.0, the relationship between regional sports and fans is evolving into a more interactive one.

Implementing company/organization: Brand-New Hirosaki FC Co., Ltd. Financier

Web3.0 initiatives in Aomori Prefecture are expanding into diverse areas such as traditional culture, administrative measures, regional communities, education, and sports. We look forward to further developments that leverage regional characteristics, accelerating unique Web3.0 applications in Aomori.

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