We are thrilled to announce that Planet Labs Inc., the operator of PlanetDAO, has won the Grand Prize in the Regional Resource Category at the “Japan Tourism NFT Awards 2025.”
PlanetDAO is an unprecedented project in Japan that connects local communities wishing to protect their historic buildings with global supporters through a “co-ownership” model, ensuring these precious properties are passed down to the future. Our unique “co-creation governance” design was highly praised by the award committee.
To celebrate this milestone, we would like to share updates on our ongoing projects in Nachi-Katsuura (Wakayama Prefecture) and Sado Island (Niigata Prefecture), along with raw and passionate voices from our co-owners and local partners.
Project 1: Revitalizing Unstaffed Temples in Nachi-Katsuura, Wakayama Prefecture
In Nachi-Katsuura, a town located along the UNESCO World Heritage Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route, we are revitalizing unstaffed temples and a 170-year-old Registered Tangible Cultural Property temple—which have become difficult to maintain due to depopulation and a shortage of resident priests—into accommodation facilities. Approximately 80% of the investors in this project are participating from overseas, bringing together funds and passion from around the world.
Voices of Overseas Co-owners
“I stayed in Wakayama for half a year in 2023 and worked at a hot spring hospital in Nachi-Katsuura. I have a strong desire to protect the beauty of that place and preserve its culture.”
“If tourist destinations everywhere become completely standardized with the same services and hotels, and locals have to rely on low-wage labor aimed at tourists, the unique ‘soul’ of the land will be lost. I want to support raising funds while protecting the local identity, allowing the community to continue their traditional way of life with pride.”
“I lived in Japan for seven years. I love Wakayama and the Kumano Kodo, and I have visited many times. I resonated with PlanetDAO’s ambitious attempt and participated because I wanted to contribute in some way.”
“I walked the Kumano Kodo last year. That experience was unforgettable, and when I found this initiative online, I thought, ‘This is it.’ I also find it to be a very interesting business model.”
Voice of the Chief Priest of Daitaiji Temple: Rev. Toumi Nishiyama
“Until now, temples have been supported solely by a limited group of local parishioners (danka). However, we are entering an era where ‘fans from all over the world’ become owners and support us. I believe this is the new form of an ‘unspecified number of parishioners’ system. I do not want the temple to simply be consumed and forgotten; I want to pass the baton to the next generation in an even more radiant form.”
Project 2: Revitalizing the Registered Tangible Cultural Property “The Hojo Heritage” on Sado Island, Niigata Prefecture
Located on Sado Island, which was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2024, the “The Hojo Heritage” is the estate of traditional Chinese medicine doctors who supported local healthcare for about 350 years since the Edo period. As maintaining the property privately reached its limits, a project was launched utilizing the PlanetDAO framework to revitalize its Registered Tangible Cultural Properties, such as the rice storehouse, into an accommodation and cultural experience hub.
Voice of Tadashi Hojo, younger brother of the 11th generation head of the Hojo family
“Registered Tangible Cultural Properties receive no government subsidies and must be maintained with 100% of the financial burden falling on the owner. We have spent tens of millions of yen out of our own pockets on restorations, but we have reached our limit both financially and physically. It feels as though our provisions have run out. What pushed us forward the most was that this was not just a simple transfer of the property. By establishing a corporate entity, the owners and local residents can also acquire voting shares. Even without making a financial contribution, we can voice our opinions on management and utilization policies. This was the biggest reason that encouraged us. We hope that the Hojo family’s initiative will serve as a new model for owners struggling with cultural heritage succession and become a catalyst for utilizing and passing these assets on to the next generation.”
Judge’s Comment Koichi Ishii Project Manager, Tourism DX Support Team, DX Promotion Section, Okinawa IT Innovation Strategy Center (ISCO)
“The reason I highly evaluated the PlanetDAO project is that I felt it has a wide range of applications. I personally have experience being seconded to local government, and I sensed the potential for this model to be applied in various scenarios, such as local tourism policies. In particular, I think it can be utilized in initiatives that support local tourism resources like hot spring resorts and traditional inns (ryokan). Although tourists are starting to return, long-established local inns are still facing difficult circumstances. Under these conditions, I thought the PlanetDAO project, which can be utilized in combination with local assets, has the potential to lead to regional revitalization.”
Comment from Tamaki Nishimura, CEO of Planet Labs Inc.
“Historic buildings that have been carefully protected by local communities possess value that cannot be measured by economic indicators alone. I believe this Grand Prize recognition shows that our ‘co-ownership and co-creation governance’ model—where cultural assets are not merely consumed as ‘tourist resources,’ but where local residents and global supporters sit at the same table to create the future together—has been highly evaluated. Through PlanetDAO, we will continue our challenge to pass Japan’s precious culture and history on to the next generation.”
Source: Japanese original text on https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000796.000003955.html