"PlanetDAO," which has raised over 100 million yen from 289 individuals in 23 countries to preserve Japan's historic buildings, wins Grand Prix at "Japan Tourism NFT Awards 2025"!

Planet Labs Inc. (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Tamaki Nishimura), a carve-out company and investee of Gaiax Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Executive Officer and President: Yuji Ueda; Securities Code: 3775; hereinafter "Gaiax"), which provides and supports the operation of real estate fund schemes specializing in historic buildings, is pleased to announce that its small-lot investment project "PlanetDAO" has won the Grand Prix in the Regional Resources category at the "Japan Tourism NFT Awards 2025," hosted by the Japan Web3 Tourism Association. "PlanetDAO" is Japan's first project that "co-owns" historic buildings that local people wish to "protect" with supporters from Japan and overseas, using a corporate DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) mechanism, to connect them to the future. The design of "co-creative governance," which allows residents to actively participate in management by issuing special shares with voting rights to local residents even without investment, was highly evaluated. To commemorate this award, we will introduce the ongoing initiatives in Nachikatsuura Town, Wakayama Prefecture, and Sado City, Niigata Prefecture, along with the voices of owners and local residents participating in the project. ■ Initiative ①: Nachikatsuura Town, Wakayama Prefecture - Regeneration Project for Unmanned Temples In Nachikatsuura Town, located along the World Heritage Kumano Kodo, temples that are registered tangible cultural properties, built 170 years ago, and unmanned 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, attracting funds and aspirations from around the world. 【Voices of Overseas Co-Owners】 Julie (Philippines): "I stayed in Wakayama for six months in 2023 and worked at a hot spring hospital in Nachikatsuura. I have a strong desire to protect the beauty of that place and preserve its culture." Julio (UK): "If tourist destinations all become saturated with globally standardized services and hotels, and residents rely on low-wage jobs catering to tourists, the unique 'soul' of that place will disappear. I want to support efforts to gather funds while protecting local identity, enabling the community to proudly continue its way of life." Mark (General Manager of a hotel in Bangkok): "I lived in Japan for seven years. I love Wakayama and the Kumano Kodo and have visited many times. I resonated with PlanetDAO's ambitious endeavor and wanted to contribute something, so I joined." Amelia (Singapore): "Last year, I walked the Kumano Kodo. I couldn't forget that experience, and when I found this online initiative, I thought, 'This is it.' I also find it a very interesting business model." 【Voice of Otaji Temple Chief Priest: Toumi Nishiyama】 "Until now, temples have been supported only by a limited number of parishioners, but now is the era where 'fans from all over the world' become owners and support them. I believe this is a new form of 'parishioner system for an unspecified large number of people.' I don't want temples to be consumed and then disappear; I want to pass the baton to the next generation in a more brilliant form." ■ Initiative ②: Sado City, Niigata Prefecture - Regeneration Project for the Registered Tangible Cultural Property "Hojo Family Residence" The "Hojo Family Residence" on Sado Island, registered as a World Cultural Heritage site in 2024, is the residence of a Chinese medicine doctor who supported local medical care for approximately 350 years since the Edo period. As individual maintenance became unsustainable, a project was launched to utilize the PlanetDAO framework to revitalize registered tangible cultural properties, such as the rice storehouse, as accommodation and experience bases. 【Voice of Tadashi Hojo, younger brother of the 11th head of the Hojo family】 "Registered tangible cultural properties receive no national subsidies and must be maintained 100% at the owner's expense. I have personally spent tens of millions of yen on repairs, but financially and age-wise, I've reached my limit. It feels like our provisions have run out. What pushed us the most was not just a simple transfer of property, but the establishment of a corporation where owners and local residents can acquire shares with voting rights. Even without investment, they can voice opinions on management and utilization policies. This was the biggest reason that encouraged us. I hope the Hojo family's initiative will become a new model for owners struggling with cultural heritage succession and serve as an opportunity for utilization that connects to the next generation." ■ Judge's Comment Koichi Ishii Project Manager, Tourism DX Support Team, DX Promotion Section, Okinawa IT Strategy & Innovation Center (General Incorporated Foundation) The reason I highly evaluated the PlanetDAO project is that I felt it has a wide range of applications. Having previously worked for local governments, I felt its potential for application in various situations, such as regional tourism policies. In particular, I believe it can be utilized in initiatives that support regional tourism resources, such as hot spring resorts and traditional inns. Although tourists are returning, many long-established inns in rural areas are still facing severe conditions. In such circumstances, the PlanetDAO project, which can be utilized in combination with regional assets, has the potential to lead to regional revitalization. ■ Comment from Tamaki Nishimura, Representative Director of Planet Labs Inc. "Historic buildings carefully preserved by local communities possess immeasurable value that cannot be measured by economic indicators. This Grand Prix award recognizes not merely consuming cultural properties as 'tourism resources,' but rather the mechanism of 'co-ownership and co-creative governance' where local people and supporters from around the world sit at the same table to create the future together. Moving forward, we will continue our challenge through PlanetDAO to pass on Japan's precious culture and history to the next generation."