We are excited to share that PlanetDAO’s initiative in Nachi-Katsuura, Wakayama Prefecture, was featured with a full photo spread in the Asahi Shimbun — one of Japan’s leading national newspapers — on April 6, 2026.
English
https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/16477547
Japanese
https://digital.asahi.com/sp/articles/ASV4415RWV44PXLB005M.html?ptoken=01KNG1XKAJA627RYT1H1MRJE3M
The article, titled “Preserving Rural Temples for Future Generations — A Helping Hand from Across the Seas,” highlights how our co-ownership model is mobilizing supporters from around the world to preserve historic temples in depopulating rural areas, transforming them into accommodation facilities while keeping the local community at the heart of decision-making.
Global Supporters Come Together for a 170-Year-Old Temple
The article focuses on the former Hokoji Temple, a heritage building founded during the Edo period, nestled in the mountains approximately 10 kilometers south of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Nachi Falls. With the local population declining sharply and the number of temple parishioners dropping from dozens to around 20 households — and the religious corporation itself dissolved — maintaining the building through traditional means had become increasingly difficult.
Rev. Toumi Nishiyama, the chief priest overseeing the temple’s management, explored options such as crowdfunding but found them insufficient for the scale of cultural property restoration required. That’s when PlanetDAO’s co-ownership framework offered a new path forward.
Recruiting “Shareholders” to Fund Renovation into Temple Lodging
Through PlanetDAO, a dedicated company was established to hold the former Hokoji Temple property. Shares were issued and offered to supporters worldwide via social media and other channels, with the goal of preserving and revitalizing this cultural asset. The minimum investment was set at 400,000 yen, and a total of 26.9 million yen was raised from 52 investors — approximately 75% of whom participated from overseas.
Investor Voices: A Passion for Japan’s History and Culture
The Asahi Shimbun featured Julio Barros, a Portugal-born IT engineer based in the UK, who visited the property in February to see firsthand the cultural asset he had invested in. Many of PlanetDAO’s investors share a deep interest in Japanese history and culture.
Barros emphasized that the investment is not about financial returns, but about ensuring that temples cherished by their communities are not lost. He and fellow co-owners are committed to voicing their opinions and supporting the property’s future together.
Co-Owning the Property with Local Residents
A key feature of PlanetDAO’s governance model, highlighted in the article, is the allocation of one-third of all shares free of charge to the local representative — in this case, Rev. Nishiyama. This ensures that outside investors cannot unilaterally make decisions such as selling the property, and that the local community retains meaningful influence over important matters.
Beyond the annual shareholders’ meeting, regular open meetings are held where all participants — investors and local stakeholders alike — can share their views and contribute to the property’s management on an equal footing.
Revitalizing Heritage as Temple Lodging
The goal of this project is to transform the former Hokoji Temple into a temple lodging (shukubo) facility, preserving its heritage while creating a sustainable model for the future. Nachi-Katsuura, surrounded by tourism assets such as the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route, sees significant visitor traffic but lacks sufficient accommodation options. Rev. Nishiyama, who already operates a temple lodging at the nearby Daitaiji Temple to fund its maintenance, believes this experience can be applied to breathe new life into the former Hokoji Temple.
Comment from Tamaki Nishimura, CEO of Planet Labs Inc.
“This Asahi Shimbun feature is a testament to the growing recognition that passionate ‘Japan fans’ around the world can play a vital role in preserving cultural heritage that local communities alone can no longer sustain. PlanetDAO was built on the belief that co-ownership and co-creation governance can bridge the gap between global supporters and local stewards. We are honored to see this vision shared with a national audience, and we remain committed to expanding this model to protect Japan’s irreplaceable cultural treasures for generations to come.”