Kita-ku, Tokyo's First Original Digital Regional Currency to Launch in Autumn 2026, Adopting "Pokepay" as its Base System
Kita-ku, Tokyo, has adopted "Pokepay" provided by Pocket Change Inc. as the base system for its unique digital regional currency project, set to launch in autumn 2026. Aimed at revitalizing the local economy and solving regional issues, a campaign worth 1.8 billion yen is also planned for Kita-ku residents.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 28, 2026 at 00:40
- 🔍 Collected: April 27, 2026 at 16:01
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 28, 2026 at 00:54 (8h 52m after Collected)
Pocket Change Inc.
Digital Garage, Inc.
We are pleased to announce that Pocket Change Inc. (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Shin Aoyama; hereinafter "Pocket Change"), a group company of Digital Garage, Inc. (TSE Prime 4819, headquartered in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President Executive Officer Group CEO: Iku Hayashi; hereinafter "Digital Garage") that operates an original electronic money issuance business, has been commissioned by Kita-ku, Tokyo, for its "Digital Regional Currency Project," which will be implemented starting this fiscal year with the goals of "revitalizing local industries" and "solving regional issues."
Regarding this digital regional currency, the provision of premium digital gift certificates is scheduled to commence in the autumn of 2026, and preparations for this launch will include the start of merchant recruitment within Kita-ku this summer.
## Background of This Initiative
In Kita-ku, a premium digital gift certificate program utilizing the payment app "PayPay" was implemented from FY2024 with the aim of promoting cashless payments and revitalizing the local economy. Through this initiative, there was a demand for a system that could flexibly respond to each policy, offer ease of use for users, merchants, and the ward itself, and enable data collection and utilization by the issuer (Kita-ku).
Against this background, Digital Garage and its group company Pocket Change have long collaborated to promote the development of the "Hachi-Pay" (※1) digital regional currency app for Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, contributing to Shibuya Ward's goal of advancing smart cities. Leveraging this expertise, they proposed a plan for Kita-ku that envisions further economic revitalization and, beyond that, efficient administrative operations, leading to this commission.
## Initiatives by Digital Garage and Pocket Change
In this project, a dedicated app for Kita-ku will be built based on "Pokepay," which has a proven track record including "Hachi-Pay." Multiple wallet functions will enable point allocation according to volunteer activities and administrative measures. This is expected to provide specifications that can be utilized for various administrative measures in addition to economic revitalization support measures.
※1: The "Hachi-Pay" project is commissioned by Shibuya Ward to Kayac Inc. as the primary contracting company.
## About the Campaign
### Campaign Planned for Autumn 2026 with a Total Issuance of 1.8 Billion Yen
In this project, a mechanism will be developed in FY2026 for use not only by Kita-ku residents but also by those who work, study, or visit the ward. As part of this, a campaign with a total issuance exceeding 1.8 billion yen is also planned to be rolled out in autumn 2026, with a system designed to encourage broad participation.
## Comments
- Kanako Yamada, Mayor of Kita-ku, Tokyo
In Reiwa 8 (2026), Kita-ku will celebrate its 80th anniversary, a significant milestone. The "Kita-ku Digital Regional Currency App" is planned as a leading project to generate "new vitality" for this commemorative year. It aims to not only stimulate consumption but also to be used by residents, those who work, study, and visit Kita-ku, creating a virtuous cycle of "people" and "economy" within the community. We anticipate that this project will help Kita-ku develop into a more vibrant town.
- Iku Hayashi (Representative Director & President Executive Officer Group CEO, Digital Garage, Inc.)
Through collaboration with our group company Pocket Change, Digital Garage has been working to build original electronic money platforms for local governments and educational institutions, promoting the development of community-based cashless infrastructure. We believe that our selection for the Kita-ku Digital Regional Currency Project is an evaluation of the knowledge, technology, and efforts our group has cultivated thus far. Through this project, we hope to improve the convenience for Kita-ku residents and businesses and contribute to regional economic revitalization by promoting cashless payments. Moving forward, in cooperation with Pocket Change, we intend to continue supporting regional DX promotion and cashless payment promotion by providing original electronic money platforms to local governments and other organizations.
## About "Pokepay," the Original Electronic Money Platform
It is a solution that allows businesses to issue their own original digital value and create digital wallets on consumers' smartphones, enabling them to use their own mobile payment methods in various online and offline scenarios.
It is offered as a SaaS/platform service, requiring no initial development costs or development period, and can be introduced immediately at a low implementation cost. Furthermore, many of its main functions are provided as APIs/SDKs, making integration with external systems easy.
Retail stores, restaurants,
Digital Garage, Inc.
We are pleased to announce that Pocket Change Inc. (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Shin Aoyama; hereinafter "Pocket Change"), a group company of Digital Garage, Inc. (TSE Prime 4819, headquartered in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President Executive Officer Group CEO: Iku Hayashi; hereinafter "Digital Garage") that operates an original electronic money issuance business, has been commissioned by Kita-ku, Tokyo, for its "Digital Regional Currency Project," which will be implemented starting this fiscal year with the goals of "revitalizing local industries" and "solving regional issues."
Regarding this digital regional currency, the provision of premium digital gift certificates is scheduled to commence in the autumn of 2026, and preparations for this launch will include the start of merchant recruitment within Kita-ku this summer.
## Background of This Initiative
In Kita-ku, a premium digital gift certificate program utilizing the payment app "PayPay" was implemented from FY2024 with the aim of promoting cashless payments and revitalizing the local economy. Through this initiative, there was a demand for a system that could flexibly respond to each policy, offer ease of use for users, merchants, and the ward itself, and enable data collection and utilization by the issuer (Kita-ku).
Against this background, Digital Garage and its group company Pocket Change have long collaborated to promote the development of the "Hachi-Pay" (※1) digital regional currency app for Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, contributing to Shibuya Ward's goal of advancing smart cities. Leveraging this expertise, they proposed a plan for Kita-ku that envisions further economic revitalization and, beyond that, efficient administrative operations, leading to this commission.
## Initiatives by Digital Garage and Pocket Change
In this project, a dedicated app for Kita-ku will be built based on "Pokepay," which has a proven track record including "Hachi-Pay." Multiple wallet functions will enable point allocation according to volunteer activities and administrative measures. This is expected to provide specifications that can be utilized for various administrative measures in addition to economic revitalization support measures.
※1: The "Hachi-Pay" project is commissioned by Shibuya Ward to Kayac Inc. as the primary contracting company.
## About the Campaign
### Campaign Planned for Autumn 2026 with a Total Issuance of 1.8 Billion Yen
In this project, a mechanism will be developed in FY2026 for use not only by Kita-ku residents but also by those who work, study, or visit the ward. As part of this, a campaign with a total issuance exceeding 1.8 billion yen is also planned to be rolled out in autumn 2026, with a system designed to encourage broad participation.
## Comments
- Kanako Yamada, Mayor of Kita-ku, Tokyo
In Reiwa 8 (2026), Kita-ku will celebrate its 80th anniversary, a significant milestone. The "Kita-ku Digital Regional Currency App" is planned as a leading project to generate "new vitality" for this commemorative year. It aims to not only stimulate consumption but also to be used by residents, those who work, study, and visit Kita-ku, creating a virtuous cycle of "people" and "economy" within the community. We anticipate that this project will help Kita-ku develop into a more vibrant town.
- Iku Hayashi (Representative Director & President Executive Officer Group CEO, Digital Garage, Inc.)
Through collaboration with our group company Pocket Change, Digital Garage has been working to build original electronic money platforms for local governments and educational institutions, promoting the development of community-based cashless infrastructure. We believe that our selection for the Kita-ku Digital Regional Currency Project is an evaluation of the knowledge, technology, and efforts our group has cultivated thus far. Through this project, we hope to improve the convenience for Kita-ku residents and businesses and contribute to regional economic revitalization by promoting cashless payments. Moving forward, in cooperation with Pocket Change, we intend to continue supporting regional DX promotion and cashless payment promotion by providing original electronic money platforms to local governments and other organizations.
## About "Pokepay," the Original Electronic Money Platform
It is a solution that allows businesses to issue their own original digital value and create digital wallets on consumers' smartphones, enabling them to use their own mobile payment methods in various online and offline scenarios.
It is offered as a SaaS/platform service, requiring no initial development costs or development period, and can be introduced immediately at a low implementation cost. Furthermore, many of its main functions are provided as APIs/SDKs, making integration with external systems easy.
Retail stores, restaurants,