Traceability Service "SHIMENAWA" Adopted for Official Municipal Fan Card in Takinoue, Hokkaido

SBI Traceability Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Fumihiko Hayashiguchi) announces that its traceability service, "SHIMENAWA," has been adopted for the "TAKINOUE FUN CARD 2026 (Official Visitor Card)," issued by the Takinoue Town Tourism Association in Hokkaido.

The Takinoue Town Tourism Association is issuing the "TAKINOUE FUN CARD 2026" to build a continuous relationship with the region through digital information dissemination, aiming to create a 'relationship population' and encourage future migration. The goal is to expand points of contact with the town by providing regional information, which has been difficult to convey through traditional paper media or temporary measures, in a form that is accessible on a daily basis.

The "TAKINOUE FUN CARD 2026" is a card with a built-in NFC tag, a special item available only to those who have made a Furusato Nozei (hometown tax) donation or have actually visited the town. By simply tapping a smartphone on the card, users can smoothly access digital content about Takinoue Town via "SHIMENAWA". The adoption of NFC tags, rather than QR codes, provides an experience with less hassle, such as scanning operations. Additionally, the destination content can be changed without updating the card itself, allowing for the continuous delivery of the latest information according to the season and situation.

Accessing the card will display monthly updated information, including tourism and event details like the blooming status of the Shibazakura (moss phlox) at Shibazakura Takinoue Park, and the town's current happenings. Other content, such as an overview of the town, tourist spot introductions, and local product showcases, will be added sequentially. This allows the card to serve as a 'real-time information contact point' for a continuous connection with Takinoue Town.

In recent years, local governments have faced challenges including population decline, an aging society, lack of name recognition, and difficulties in disseminating information about local products, including hometown tax return gifts. One-off tourism events or initiatives often fail to lead to sustained relationships after a visit or donation, creating a need for a mechanism that fosters a medium- to long-term connection between municipalities and people.

This initiative is expected to provide Takinoue Town with a foundation for continuously securing contact points with donors and visitors and fostering long-term interest in the town. For cardholders, it offers an experience where they can access the latest local information on their familiar smartphones without installing a new, dedicated app.

SHIMENAWA is a traceability service that uses IC tags (RFID/NFC) and blockchain technology to assign unique IDs to physical assets, cards, and more, centrally recording and managing related information. It supports various management applications, including authenticity verification, usage and distribution history recording, digital content delivery via tags, and shipping/inventory management.