Local governments and regions using Web 3.0 and NFT technologies have been increasing in various ways since 2022, and Akita Prefecture is one of the local governments taking unique regional initiatives.
Akita Prefecture has long faced a major problem of an ageing and declining population, as evidenced by the fact that it has ranked first in the country for three consecutive years in terms of the ageing population and for nine consecutive years in terms of population decline.
According to estimates by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research (March 2013: mid-level estimates), Akita Prefecture's population is expected to fall below 700,000 in 2040, and if the population decline continues at this rate, the prefecture's economy is expected to shrink in size, the working population to decrease and regional vitality to decline due to a shortage of workers.
These problems are closely related to the creation of employment and the revitalisation of industry, and Akita Prefecture has been struggling with these issues for many years. In particular, with the population declining and the birthrate falling and the population ageing rapidly, it is necessary to develop measures to directly halt the decline in the number of young people in the prefecture and to establish a new social system that can maintain services for residents in a society with a declining population, as well as to establish a solid industrial and economic foundation.
It is therefore important to maintain and expand the scale of the industrial economy and employment by improving productivity and increasing consumption in the prefecture, leading to an increase in income levels, and it is necessary to promote the development of human resources who will be responsible for Akita's future and the revitalisation of local communities.
Akita Prefecture is addressing these issues by promoting the retention of young people and supporting childcare, and the Web 3.0 project is also one of the measures for regional development.
Akita is geographically distant from the Tokyo metropolitan area, the largest consumption centre in Japan, and has been at a disadvantage in terms of access to end consumers.
The Web 3.0 project is expected to be a solution to this problem. The Web 3.0 project is expected to be a measure to solve these problems.
By utilising technology that is not subject to geographical restrictions, it is possible to instantly gather funds from fans around the world, and by directly approaching communities around the world with the attractive local resources of which the municipality is proud, it is not a dream to create a global related population while stimulating inbound demand.
For this reason, Akita Prefecture is actively involved in Web 3.0 projects. One company that can be said to be at the heart of this is Meta Akita Co.
Meta Akita is a spin-off company of the Akita Inu Preservation Society, which is working on regional development using Akita Inu based on the concept of ‘Web 3.0 x Akita Inu’. Akita Inu NFT was launched in November 2022 on a limited basis and sold out on the same day.
As a concrete utility, holders of the NFT already have free admission to the Akita Inu Preservation Society Museum, and in the future it will be a passport to the Meta Akita meta-verse, as well as being able to enjoy various services planned for the future.
In January 2023, Akita Prefecture's first hometown NFT returns were announced. A limited edition NFT (digital art) and original sake set commemorating the 100th anniversary of Hachiko's birth was launched as a hometown tax return gift from Odate City, Akita Prefecture.
In collaboration with the sake brewery Kitashika in Odate City, a set of Daiginjo sake with a special Akita Inu label will be offered together with the NFT.
The illustrations will be selected from 35 entries submitted by Akita Inu fans from all over the world, and the work that wins the top fan vote will also be used as the commemorative sake label.
In addition, the Akita Inu NFT Flood Disaster Recovery Support Fund was established to assist in the aftermath of the torrential rain disaster that hit Akita Prefecture in July 2023. Illustrations depicting Akita Inu as NFTs in exchange for the crypto-asset Ethereum are sold on the NFT trading platform OpenSea. Donations from Akita Inu fans from around the world were swiftly collected.
In disaster relief for Akita Prefecture, Rokubunnoni Corporation, which has a partnership with the Akita Prefectural Government, launched the Natural Disaster Recovery Support NFT Project and sold NFTs in collaboration with Encrypto LLC and A LOVEMOVEMENT, a fashion brand from California, USA.
The NFT Project for Natural Disaster Reconstruction Assistance collaborated with Tetsuzo Okubo, representative of A LOVE MOVEMENT and a contemporary artist from Los Angeles, to sell original NFT illustrations on the NFT sales tool ‘Manifold’. Proceeds were donated to the Akita Prefecture Heavy Rain Disaster Relief Fund, which is being raised by Akita Prefecture and the Akita Branch of the Japanese Red Cross Society.
Since the online meet-up with the Akita Prefectural Government in December 2022, the three companies have been working towards contributing to the local area, and in April 2023, Rokubunnoni was selected by the Akita Prefectural Government as a company with the intention of conducting a trial migration experience in the prefecture for its employees to move to Akita for remote work. It was recognised as an ‘Akita Living by Remote Work Partner Company’.
Unlike conventional donations, the NFT project for natural disaster recovery aims to create a sustainable flow of support through the use of NFT, and states that the fees generated through secondary distribution can be donated and further returned to the recipient.
Yuri-Honjo City has concluded a tripartite cooperation agreement with Yuri Kogen Railway Co.
Specifically, the Yellow Sakura Sui Project, a moe character from Yuri-Honjo-shi, has been used to transmit local attractions using AR, such as taking photos with the 3D character ‘Matsukawa Kanna’ from the Yajima area where Yuri Kogen Railway has its headquarters, and 3D data of the ‘Obako-go’ has been created as NFT, which is used as a hometown tax return present.
The train is modelled on the ‘YR-3000’ of the ‘Obako-go’ operated by the Yuri Kogen Railway, with the one-car version being offered in red and the three-car set version in red, blue and green. For a donation of 10,000 yen, one red car is provided, and for the same donation of 25,000 yen, a total of three cars (red, green and blue) are provided.
The AR can be viewed using the AR application CLoVAR (beta version) developed by ITOCHU Techno-Solutions Corporation, and for taxpayers who donate to Furusato, there is a limited version of the ‘Matsukawa Kanna’, which can only be seen inside the actual ‘Obako-go’ trains. The ‘Matsubi Kanna’ can also be seen only on the actual ‘Obako-go’ trains.
From March 2023, Akita Prefecture and Zeronium Corporation held and opened the Akita Migration and Exchange Metaverse Expo to the public under the theme of promoting migration to Akita Prefecture.
This metaverse space is an event where the attractiveness of Akita Prefecture is communicated through realistic exhibitions and communication, and where people who are considering emigrating can find their own unique style of emigration. In the metaverse space, prefectural and municipal officials participate as avatars, and visitors can directly interact and consult with them via text and voice chat.
In this way, Akita Prefecture is currently making effective use of various IPs, including local products, and is working on regional development using digital technology that is not influenced by geographical conditions. Through a series of such initiatives, Akita Prefecture will promote the attraction, etc. of people to the prefecture and accelerate the resolution of issues such as population decline.
▶▶ Natural disaster recovery support NFT
Donation of sales proceeds to the Akita Prefecture Heavy Rain Disaster Relief Fund.
ROKUBUNONI Corporation, which has a partnership with the Akita Prefectural Government, launched an original NFT illustration in collaboration with Encrypto LLC and A LOVE MOVEMENT, a fashion brand from California, USA, to support the victims of the torrential rains in Akita Prefecture in July 2023.
Companies and organisations that have introduced the system.
‘Rokubunnoni’, ‘Encrypto’.
▶▶ Akita Dog NFT x Sake
Akita Prefecture's first hometown NFT return gift
In January 2023, Meta Akita Co. started offering Akita Prefecture's first hometown tax NFT return gift, a limited edition NFT (digital art) and original sake set commemorating the 100th anniversary of Hachiko's birth, under the concept of ‘Akita Inu NFT x Sake’. Thirty-five illustrations were selected from the entries, and the work that won the top fan vote was used as the commemorative sake label.
Companies and organisations that have introduced the system.
Meta Akita, Kitashika.
▶▶ Akita dog x NFT
Limited edition of 100 Akita Inu NFTs sold out on the same day.
Meta Akita, a spin-off company of the Akita Inu Preservation Society, which is working on regional development using Akita Inu based on the concept of Web 3.0 x Akita Inu, launched a limited edition Akita Inu NFT in November 2022, which sold out on the same day. As a specific utility, holders of the NFT are entitled to free admission to the Akita Inu Preservation Society Museum, and the NFT will also serve as a passport to the future Meta Akita meta-verse.
Companies and organisations that have introduced
Meta Akita’.
▶ ▶ Akita Migration and Exchange Metaverse Expo
Held in four sessions from September to December 2023.
Akita Prefecture and Zeronium Corporation have held and opened the ‘Akita Migration and Exchange Metaverse Expo’ with the theme of promoting migration to Akita Prefecture from March 2023. Visitors can enjoy the Akita Inu Pavilion, Shirakami Sanchi Pavilion, Namahage Pavilion, Chokaisan Pavilion, Lake Tazawa Pavilion and Kamakura Pavilion using a common web browser.
Companies and organisations that have introduced
‘Zeronium’.
▶▶ Yuri Kogen Railway NFT
Akita Prefecture's first railway-based NFT hometown tax return.
Yuri-Honjo City, Yuri Kogen Railway Co. and Itochu Techno-Solutions Ltd. have created 3D data of the ‘Obako-go’ as an NFT as a demonstration experiment of hometown tax returns using NFTs, and are using them as hometown tax returns. For a donation of 10,000 yen, one red car, and for 25,000 yen, a total of three cars (red, green and blue) can receive the data.
Companies and organisations that have introduced the system.
Yuri Kogen Railway, ITOCHU Techno-Solutions
Web 3.0 business as part of the ‘Web 3.0 x Chiba’ regional development project
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