PlanetDAO, preserving historical Japanese buildings with over 100 million JPY funded by 289 individuals from 23 countries, wins Grand Prix at "Japan Tourism NFT Awards 2025"!
PlanetDAO, a project preserving historical Japanese buildings, won the Grand Prix at the "Japan Tourism NFT Awards 2025." It's a DAO-type project, co-owned by local residents, funded by over 100 million JPY from 289 individuals across 23 countries.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 1, 2026 at 21:30
- 🔍 Collected: April 1, 2026 at 16:47
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 22, 2026 at 00:29 (487h 41m after Collected)
Planet Labs Inc. (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Tamaki Nishimura), a carve-out company and investment destination of Gaiax Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Executive Officer & President: Yuji Ueda; Securities Code: 3775; hereinafter Gaiax), which provides mechanisms and operational support for real estate funds specializing in historical buildings, announced that its small-lot investment project, "PlanetDAO," received the Grand Prix in the Regional Resources category at the "Japan Tourism NFT Awards 2025," organized by the Japan Web3 Tourism Association.
"PlanetDAO" is Japan's first project to connect historical buildings that local people wish to preserve to the future by "co-owning" them with domestic and international supporters, using a corporate-type DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) mechanism. The design of "co-creation governance," which allows residents to actively participate in management by issuing special shares with voting rights even without direct investment, was highly praised.
To commemorate this award, we will introduce the ongoing initiatives in Nachikatsuura Town, Wakayama Prefecture, and Sado City, Niigata Prefecture, along with the unfiltered voices of participating owners and local residents.
**■ Initiative 1: Wakayama Prefecture, Nachikatsuura Town - Revitalization Project for Unoccupied Temples**
In Nachikatsuura Town, located along the World Heritage Kumano Kodo, temples that are 170 years old and registered tangible cultural properties, as well as unoccupied temples, which have become difficult to maintain due to depopulation and a shortage of priests, are being revitalized as accommodation facilities. Approximately 80% of the investors in this project are from overseas, gathering funds and aspirations from around the world.
Keywords: Regional Revitalization, DAO, Furusato Resident Registration, Old Private Houses, Unoccupied Temples, Sado, Nachikatsuura, Inbound Tourism, Cultural Properties, Japan Tourism Agency
"PlanetDAO" is Japan's first project to connect historical buildings that local people wish to preserve to the future by "co-owning" them with domestic and international supporters, using a corporate-type DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) mechanism. The design of "co-creation governance," which allows residents to actively participate in management by issuing special shares with voting rights even without direct investment, was highly praised.
To commemorate this award, we will introduce the ongoing initiatives in Nachikatsuura Town, Wakayama Prefecture, and Sado City, Niigata Prefecture, along with the unfiltered voices of participating owners and local residents.
**■ Initiative 1: Wakayama Prefecture, Nachikatsuura Town - Revitalization Project for Unoccupied Temples**
In Nachikatsuura Town, located along the World Heritage Kumano Kodo, temples that are 170 years old and registered tangible cultural properties, as well as unoccupied temples, which have become difficult to maintain due to depopulation and a shortage of priests, are being revitalized as accommodation facilities. Approximately 80% of the investors in this project are from overseas, gathering funds and aspirations from around the world.
Keywords: Regional Revitalization, DAO, Furusato Resident Registration, Old Private Houses, Unoccupied Temples, Sado, Nachikatsuura, Inbound Tourism, Cultural Properties, Japan Tourism Agency