Tokyo, Japan — Planet Labs Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; hereinafter “Planet Labs”) announces the launch of its third fractional ownership investment project under the initiative PlanetDAO. The project will focus on The Hojo Heritage, a registered tangible cultural property located in Sado City, Niigata Prefecture.
More details are available at: https://planetdao.world
Building on Success: From Temples to Kominka
Since 2024, Planet Labs has raised preservation funds for historical temples and kominka (traditional houses) through PlanetDAO, gathering capital from nearly 200 investors across 23 countries. The first two projects—in Nachikatsuura, Wakayama (a 170-year-old temple) and in Hayama, Kanagawa (a kominka with a bamboo forest)—each attracted over 100 investors and successfully raised around 40 million yen.
Historic buildings in Japan are often central to communities, yet their preservation is difficult for local stakeholders alone, due to financial and operational burdens. Planet Labs addresses this challenge by enabling collaborative ownership and democratic decision-making for sustainable preservation.
Project Background: Sado Island and the Hojo Family
Sado Island, newly inscribed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in July 2024 for its gold and silver mines, is renowned for its landscapes, traditional performing arts, and rich ecosystem where endangered crested ibises once again thrive. The island has long been known as a “land of medicinal herbs and wild plants” used in traditional healthcare.
The target property, The Hojo Heritage, has been passed down through generations since the Edo period. The family descends from Hojo Doeki, a monk and practitioner of traditional Japanese medicine who served the Sado Magistrate’s Office. He built a culture of healthcare rooted in harmony between people and nature, using Sado’s wild plants to heal both body and mind. For seven generations, the Hojo family continued as physicians and contributed widely to education, politics, and economics. The current head is the 11th generation, yet the residence is now in a severely deteriorated state, making it difficult to maintain with local resources alone.
This project applies PlanetDAO’s co-ownership model to balance cultural preservation with economic sustainability.
Project Scope
- The main house of The Hojo Heritage is designated as an Important Cultural Property.
- Several attached structures—rice storehouse, furniture storehouse, miso storehouse, and nagaya gate—are registered as Tangible Cultural Properties.
- This project specifically targets the restoration and reuse of the storehouse buildings, excluding the main house.
About PlanetDAO
PlanetDAO revitalizes historic buildings across Japan into lodging and cultural facilities. Funds are raised from domestic and international investors, who receive not only dividends but also voting rights in project operations. Community shares ensure that local voices are always reflected in governance.
This democratic, corporation-based DAO model allows for:
- Shared ownership of cultural properties through small investments
- Protection of “promises to locals” (e.g., continued temple use, preservation of public space) through share-class design
- Long-term sustainability even if ownership changes
Comments from Stakeholders
Akira Hojo, 11th Head of the Hojo Family:
“For 350 years, The Hojo Heritage at the foot of Mt. Kinpoku has been the home of physicians serving the people of Sado. Yet as a private owner, I can no longer sustain its preservation alone. We hope this home will become a place where people from around the world can meet, heal, and learn from one another, contributing to a sustainable future for Sado Island.”
Harumi Kikuchi, Wild Plant Researcher:
“The Hojo Heritage is one of the few spaces where we can still feel the Edo-period spirit of cooperation and coexistence with nature. The knowledge of medicinal plants preserved here is invaluable for humanity’s future. Passing this wisdom on in new ways is essential.”
Tamaki Nishimura, CEO of Planet Labs:
“We believe The Hojo Heritage embodies the spirit of memories, traditions, and livelihoods preserved through generations. We are proud to collaborate with the Hojo family on our third PlanetDAO project, and we look forward to sharing this heritage with people worldwide.”
Project Partners
- Sado Tourism Exchange Organization
- Kaneko Architectural Design Office (Heritage Manager)
- Arth.Japan LLC
- Sun Frontier Sado Co., Ltd.
- Sado Architects Association
- Mikle Inc. AX Regional Revitalization Team
- With advice from Sado City
Company Overview: Planet Labs Inc.
- Established: November 2023
- CEO: Tamaki Nishimura
- Location: MIDORI.so NAGATACHO, 2-5-3 Hirakawacho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
- Business: Planning and management of PlanetDAO projects, revitalizing cultural and historical properties
- Website: https://planetdao.world