[Ehime, Uwajima] Towards a region where people can live richly without owning a car. Kuuan launches demonstration experiment of mobility commons "Comove" utilizing proprietary currency
Kuuan Co., Ltd. in Uwajima City, Ehime Prefecture, has launched a demonstration experiment of "Comove," a next-generation mobility commons that aims to enrich the lives of people without car ownership. It provides mobility services using its proprietary currency, "Parallel Coin," and seeks to reduce the cost of car ownership, a barrier to rural migration.
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- 📰 Published: May 11, 2026 at 18:00
- 🔍 Collected: May 11, 2026 at 09:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 12, 2026 at 08:10 (22h 38m after Collected)
Kuuan Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Uwajima City, Ehime Prefecture; Representative Director: Makoto Hamamura; hereinafter "Kuuan"), which develops regional innovation projects in Uwajima City, Ehime Prefecture, began a demonstration experiment of the next-generation mobility commons "Comove" on April 1, 2026.
Comove is an initiative that redefines means of transportation such as automobiles and mountain bikes not as individually owned property, but as shared assets—commons—to be utilized by the community.
In this demonstration, initially targeting Kuuan employees and related parties, a shared usage system will be launched, primarily featuring 10 light passenger vehicles, combined with mountain bikes, folding compact bicycles, and electric tricycles. Payment for usage will be made using "Parallel Coin," a proprietary currency that cannot be converted into legal tender, verifying a mechanism where mobility services can be used without involving fiat currency.
The aim is to create an environment where young people who have moved from urban areas can live richly without owning a private car, and in the future, to expand the target to include local residents, especially the elderly, to support their outings.
Furthermore, in the future, we plan to consider collaboration with nursing care vehicles, senior cars, electric assist bicycles, and autonomous driving technology, reconstructing the "state of mobility" in depopulated areas from the perspective of freedom of living and well-being.
■ Overview of the Demonstration Experiment
Start Date: April 1, 2026
Implementation Area: Surrounding areas centered on the Ishio area of Uwajima City, Ehime Prefecture
Target: Kuuan Co., Ltd. employees and related parties
Introduced Mobility: 10 light passenger vehicles, 8 mountain bikes, 2 folding compact bicycles, 1 electric tricycle
Payment Method: Payment using proprietary currency "Parallel Coin"
Nature of Parallel Coin: A proprietary currency with limited scope of use, not convertible to legal tender, and not intended for trading or investment use in external markets.
Validity Period: 180 days from the date of issuance
Expiration Method: Automatically burned (extinguished) 180 days after the issuance date, based on a smart contract on the blockchain.
Scope of Use: Comove and services designated by Kuuan
Main Verification Items:
・Cost reduction effect through shared vehicle use
・Convenience and satisfaction from sharing means of transportation
・Practicality of a Parallel Coin-only payment model without involving legal tender
・Operational verification of Parallel Coin issuance, usage, balance management, payment errors, etc.
・Effectiveness of Parallel Coin issuance for contribution activities such as mobility support, vehicle management, cleaning, inspection, and maintenance among employees and related parties
・Suppression effect of cash expenditure through Parallel Coin payment, and cost reduction effect for rural migrants
・Circulation in a closed economic zone, such as Parallel Coin usage rate, turnover rate, unused balance, and uneven distribution
・User acceptance, operability, and intention for continued use regarding the payment experience without legal tender
・Management system accompanying proprietary currency operation, such as unauthorized use, erroneous payments, insufficient balance, refunds, and cancellations
・Possibility of expansion to local residents
・Applicability to elderly outing support and regional transportation issues
Future Developments:
After verifying the shared usage model for employees, we will gradually consider collaboration with nursing care vehicles, senior cars, electric assist bicycles, and autonomous driving technology.
■ Background: Dismantling the "cost of car ownership," a barrier to rural migration
In rural migration, owning a private car is one of the major burdens.
Vehicle purchase costs, insurance premiums, vehicle inspections, fuel costs, parking fees, and maintenance costs are factors that particularly squeeze the disposable income of young people. While a car is necessary for living in rural areas, the cost of ownership currently acts as a hurdle for rural migration and new challenges.
Kuuan has previously worked on creating a system to reduce basic living costs such as rent, utility bills, and internet fees for migrants by utilizing vacant houses.
Comove, which is now being launched, extends this initiative to "mobility."
By transforming the foundations of life—housing, communication, and mobility—from individual burdens to shared assets, we create an environment where young people can confidently take on challenges in rural areas.
Furthermore, Comove introduces a mechanism to use mobility services solely with the proprietary currency "Parallel Coin." This aims to suppress cash expenditure for employees and related parties, while visualizing and evaluating contribution activities such as transportation, vehicle cleaning, inspection, and maintenance, verifying the feasibility of a "Parallel Commons" economic zone starting from mobility.
Overall image of the regional mobility commons "Comove" (including future developments)
*Parallel Coin is a proprietary currency with a limited scope of use, not intended for conversion to legal tender or trading in external markets.
■ "Mobility Well-being" provided by Comove
1. A mobility experience connected to nature through mountain bikes
Mobility in urban areas is often perceived as "a task to be made efficient."
On the other hand, Uwajima has rich terrain with seas, mountains, villages, slopes, and forest roads. Como
Comove is an initiative that redefines means of transportation such as automobiles and mountain bikes not as individually owned property, but as shared assets—commons—to be utilized by the community.
In this demonstration, initially targeting Kuuan employees and related parties, a shared usage system will be launched, primarily featuring 10 light passenger vehicles, combined with mountain bikes, folding compact bicycles, and electric tricycles. Payment for usage will be made using "Parallel Coin," a proprietary currency that cannot be converted into legal tender, verifying a mechanism where mobility services can be used without involving fiat currency.
The aim is to create an environment where young people who have moved from urban areas can live richly without owning a private car, and in the future, to expand the target to include local residents, especially the elderly, to support their outings.
Furthermore, in the future, we plan to consider collaboration with nursing care vehicles, senior cars, electric assist bicycles, and autonomous driving technology, reconstructing the "state of mobility" in depopulated areas from the perspective of freedom of living and well-being.
■ Overview of the Demonstration Experiment
Start Date: April 1, 2026
Implementation Area: Surrounding areas centered on the Ishio area of Uwajima City, Ehime Prefecture
Target: Kuuan Co., Ltd. employees and related parties
Introduced Mobility: 10 light passenger vehicles, 8 mountain bikes, 2 folding compact bicycles, 1 electric tricycle
Payment Method: Payment using proprietary currency "Parallel Coin"
Nature of Parallel Coin: A proprietary currency with limited scope of use, not convertible to legal tender, and not intended for trading or investment use in external markets.
Validity Period: 180 days from the date of issuance
Expiration Method: Automatically burned (extinguished) 180 days after the issuance date, based on a smart contract on the blockchain.
Scope of Use: Comove and services designated by Kuuan
Main Verification Items:
・Cost reduction effect through shared vehicle use
・Convenience and satisfaction from sharing means of transportation
・Practicality of a Parallel Coin-only payment model without involving legal tender
・Operational verification of Parallel Coin issuance, usage, balance management, payment errors, etc.
・Effectiveness of Parallel Coin issuance for contribution activities such as mobility support, vehicle management, cleaning, inspection, and maintenance among employees and related parties
・Suppression effect of cash expenditure through Parallel Coin payment, and cost reduction effect for rural migrants
・Circulation in a closed economic zone, such as Parallel Coin usage rate, turnover rate, unused balance, and uneven distribution
・User acceptance, operability, and intention for continued use regarding the payment experience without legal tender
・Management system accompanying proprietary currency operation, such as unauthorized use, erroneous payments, insufficient balance, refunds, and cancellations
・Possibility of expansion to local residents
・Applicability to elderly outing support and regional transportation issues
Future Developments:
After verifying the shared usage model for employees, we will gradually consider collaboration with nursing care vehicles, senior cars, electric assist bicycles, and autonomous driving technology.
■ Background: Dismantling the "cost of car ownership," a barrier to rural migration
In rural migration, owning a private car is one of the major burdens.
Vehicle purchase costs, insurance premiums, vehicle inspections, fuel costs, parking fees, and maintenance costs are factors that particularly squeeze the disposable income of young people. While a car is necessary for living in rural areas, the cost of ownership currently acts as a hurdle for rural migration and new challenges.
Kuuan has previously worked on creating a system to reduce basic living costs such as rent, utility bills, and internet fees for migrants by utilizing vacant houses.
Comove, which is now being launched, extends this initiative to "mobility."
By transforming the foundations of life—housing, communication, and mobility—from individual burdens to shared assets, we create an environment where young people can confidently take on challenges in rural areas.
Furthermore, Comove introduces a mechanism to use mobility services solely with the proprietary currency "Parallel Coin." This aims to suppress cash expenditure for employees and related parties, while visualizing and evaluating contribution activities such as transportation, vehicle cleaning, inspection, and maintenance, verifying the feasibility of a "Parallel Commons" economic zone starting from mobility.
Overall image of the regional mobility commons "Comove" (including future developments)
*Parallel Coin is a proprietary currency with a limited scope of use, not intended for conversion to legal tender or trading in external markets.
■ "Mobility Well-being" provided by Comove
1. A mobility experience connected to nature through mountain bikes
Mobility in urban areas is often perceived as "a task to be made efficient."
On the other hand, Uwajima has rich terrain with seas, mountains, villages, slopes, and forest roads. Como