BAR KRYPTO, which opens only every Friday night and accepts only crypto assets as payment, is always packed.
We took a closer look at the operation of this popular restaurant, which has been open for only a few months.
--How did you come to establish “BAR KRYPTO” and why did you decide to pursue this project in Kyoto, as well as the strengths of working in Kyoto?
Junya Kondo (Kondo): The reason why we decided to launch “BAR KRYPTO” in Kyoto is simply because I was in Kyoto.
The reason for the launch was my interest in Web 3.0 last year. Around last summer, when I was chatting with the founding members of “BAR KRYPTO” about what utilities we could do with NFT, I remembered that we had a basement that we were not using.
--Mr. Arakawa, you operate “awabar” in Okinawa, why did you decide to join “BAR KRYPTO”?
Oharu Arakawa (Arakawa): I happened to meet Kondo-san when I held an off-line meeting of the community I manage in Kyoto. After that, I heard about the bar, and I offered to help out.
Currently, Web 3.0 in Japan is concentrated in Tokyo, and I feel that there are not many community spaces in western Japan. The timing was good, as I had been thinking about creating such a place in western Japan while also managing AWABAR.
--What are the strengths of operating “BAR KRYPTO” in Kyoto?
Arakawa: The biggest advantage is that Kyoto is popular among people from overseas, and it is easy for people to gather. Kyoto has a long history as a place that originally prospered as the capital. We believe that incorporating the new culture of Web 3.0, which is also popular overseas, will further enhance Kyoto's appeal.
▶︎“BAR KRYPTO” is located in a basement room in Kyoto City. The location is completely secret, known only to the holders of the NFT membership card.
--Kondo: The concept of “BAR KRYPTO” is a “hideout bar,” but why did you decide on this form?
Kondo: The members of the management team have their own day jobs, so it is not easy to run the bar on a daily basis. Even now, we open the bar only on Friday nights to ensure reliable operations. So we decided to take advantage of that and make it a bar that only those with a membership card can enter.
We thought it would be more interesting to have a sense of being limited to those who know the location and have a membership card, as well as one person who accompanies them. Thankfully, after the NFT sold out, the bar has been full almost every week.
--Kondo: Do most of the people who actually come to the store have a deep knowledge of NFT, crypto assets, or Web 3.0?
Kondo: We have a wide range of customers, from people who are involved in Web 3.0 projects to people who are making wallets for the first time. Some of them said, “I bought NFT for the first time because I understand the purpose and meaning of a bar membership card.
In addition, “BAR KRYPTO” only accepts crypto asset payments. I have the impression that few people have had the experience of paying with crypto assets and drinking alcohol, and many are enjoying the experience as if it were a kind of attraction, saying, “This is what it is like to pay with crypto assets.
▶︎ members to get together, each proposes a task and operates in a Web 3.0-like manner.
--What are your future plans, goals, and enthusiasm?
Kondo: We opened the first bar in Kansai with the concept of crypto assets, and have gradually created a community where many people can interact, meet each other, and connect. We are also experimenting with issuing our own utility tokens and paying members for their management.
Conceptually, I knew Web 3.0 could do that, but I thought it would be interesting to actually try it. Above all, we don't want to disappoint our customers who have purchased our membership card NFT. We will do our best to provide a value experience that exceeds the price paid.
Arakawa: We are currently issuing 70 membership cards NFT as part of the store's development, and we are planning to issue 30 more to bring the total to 100. Our first goal is to fill the membership to the max. We would like to make the restaurant well established as a restaurant, and then make it a place where people say, “I want to go to that bar.
Junya Kondo
Junya Kondo was born in 1975. In 2001, he founded Hatena, Inc. In 2001, he founded Hatena, Inc. to develop Hatena Diary and other applications. He later reorganized Hatena, Inc. and was listed on TSE Mothers (now TSE Growth) in 2016, and established OND, Inc. in 2017. OND is a leading provider of services such as Property Fan, UNKNOWN KYOTO, IBUKI, BAR KRYPTO, LISTEN, and others.
Taisei Arakawa
Born in 1997. Graduated from Bukkyo University, Faculty of Health and Medical Technology. After graduation, he worked as a physical therapist at a medical institution in Kyoto, Japan. In 2022, he retired and moved to Okinawa Prefecture. He founded Adam Co., Ltd. and started no-code application development and web production. Currently he is the manager of awabar okinawa and manages BAR KRYPTO.
Web 3.0 x Kyoto” - Not as an Ancient Capital, but as a Leader in Web 3.0 Business Support
Interview Iolite FACE vol.10 David Schwartz, Hirata Roi PHOTO & INTERVIEW "Yukos" Special feature "Trends in the cryptocurrency industry in Japan", "Trump vs. Harris: What will happen to the cryptocurrency industry?", "Was the reputation economy a prophecy?" Interview: Simon Gerovich, Metaplanet Co., Ltd., Kim Dong-Gyu, CALIVERSE Series Tech and Future Sasaki Toshinao...etc.
