What's happening on Astar in Japan?

Sometimes, it’s hard for an international audience to understand what initiatives are happening in Japan and their significance. This blog post provides a glimpse into the companies building on top of Astar Network in Japan and why it matters.

A bit of background

While regulatory environments in the states and Europe increasingly get in the way of innovation and crypto companies, Japan has adopted an opposing stance and made web3 a national strategy. The government has recognized the potential web3 has to foster growth in the current stagnating economy and to attract foreign talent. Consequently, it has started to change legal frameworks to establish more favorable conditions for web3 companies, VCs, as individuals investing in crypto. This includes allowing crypto companies to raise in tokens and lowering taxes on capital gains while removing taxes on paper gains.

Overall, the sentiment towards web3 remains positive in Japan, as holders have been more protected by global downturn events such as FTX's collapse and Luna's. And with its vast history of successful cultural exports, there is ample opportunity for corporates and startups to connect Japan with the world using web3. Exchange trading volumes might be down, but the excitement continues, and experts suggest that Japan’s web3 success will come from focusing on creative endeavors and empowering users in the digital economy.

Astar, as a leading public blockchain from Japan, is fully aligned with that vision, and we’re excited to be the platform on which countless creative projects are already bridging the gap between web3 and new users.

Below, we’re introducing two recent use cases that were built on top of Astar Network and outlining why they are essential for broader web3 adoption.

Orix Bank distributes 20,000 marine NFTs 🐟

Orix Bank, a financial services group active in over 20 countries worldwide, has partnered with Sushi Top Marketing to provide a unique experience for the visitors of the Sumida Aquarium from September 30 to October 15. Throughout the campaign period, visitors who visited the newest permanent exhibit focused on the Ogasawara Islands could collect commemorative digital codes using QR codes.

When scanning the QR codes, they would automatically receive one of five randomly generated “Ogaswara Base” NFTs showcasing the marine life around the Ogasawara Islands. To facilitate the claiming experience, Sushi Top Marketing has provided its NFT shot technology, which enables anyone to create a wallet in their mobile browser and tie it to a familiar login experience.

You can check out the Aquarium here.

Why does this matter?

Sumida Aquarium is a well-visited sight, with roughly 1.4 million visitors annually. It sits right under the famous Tokyo Sky Tree, attracting many global visitors. One of its most popular features is the largest open-tank habitat for penguins and a watertank with over 500 jellyfish.

The Ogawara Base is a new exhibition that is expected to welcome thousands of visitors per month. With the campaign, Orix Bank and Sushi Top Marketing are onboarding a diverse audience that has likely never touched NFTs before to web3. The NFT drop was limited to 20,000 commemorative NFTs, yet everyone newly onboarded is a win for web3 overall. And aquariums tend to attract not only those already familiar with web3 but anyone from young families to grandparents visiting with their grandchildren to Japan tourists.

This collaboration taps neatly into the Japanese culture of collecting while giving it a modern twist.

Regarding Astar usage, it’s worth highlighting that all these NFTs could be minted at a fraction of a penny and cost users nothing to claim.

Proof of Shochu- powered by Kumamoto

Kumamoto, a prefecture in the central part of Japan’s Kyushu island, is embracing the Metaverse to help boost its traditional way of producing Japanese shochu. Kumamoto is a forward-thinking prefecture that has achieved some fame as the home of Kumamon. This black bear mascot has significantly boosted its tourism and awareness overseas as free licensing enabled anyone to use it for their purposes.

Beyond cute mascots, Kumamoto is also home to clear waters and a unique tradition of producing Kuma Shochu, a liquor made in only 27 distilleries in the area. To ensure that the tradition lives on, Kumamoto has partnered with Mizuho Bank and the Cosmize Metaverse to encourage a new audience to learn about Kuma Shochu and increase the community around it, preserving the tradition.

Throughout the campaign, the companies will issue three different types of NFTs:

• Base NFTs that anyone interested can claim
• Parts NFTs that are awarded to active contributors promoting Kuma Shochu and its community
• True NFTs unlock for holders of Base and Parts NFTs and come with exclusive rewards such as access to tasting events.

Why it matters

Shochu is one of the most consumed alcoholic spirits in Japan and has since grown beyond the borders of the island nation. The global Shochu market continues growing with a growth rate hovering around 2.6%, and leading producers like Ichiko sell over 7 million liters of the transparent liquid worldwide.

While Shochu and liquors are deeply embedded in Japanese culture, and Kumamoto prefecture proudly has developed its own tradition, with an aging population, the question lingers: who will keep up this part of the culture?

Through the collaboration between one of the biggest banks in Japan with 20 million users and the Cosmize Metaverse, Kumamoto uses a digitally native tool to tap into the young Sake enthusiasts, who might just be the right people to uphold the tradition. Building a community around it also further strengthens people’s ties with the local brand while opening access up to anyone in Japan.

In that way, web3 can become an essential pillar in maintaining and celebrating Japanese culture. You can read more about this activation here.

Shochu vs Sake🍶

While the unknown eye might confuse the two, Shochu and Sake are two different types of drinks. They are both Japanese beverages; however, Sake is brewed from fermenting rice, and Shochu is a distilled spirit made from grains. Consequently, Shochu has a higher alcohol content than sake, between 20 - 30%.

The above are just two of the ongoing projects out of countless campaigns that corporations and startups run on our network every year. We will continue sharing what’s happening in Japan on top of Astar, outlining why it’s impactful - and how it helps us get one step closer to onboarding billions with each claim of an NFT or someone entering the metaverse.

Special thanks also to the team at Sushi Top Marketing, who are building tools to onboard even non-web3 natives seamlessly to web3.

To learn more about what’s happening in General Japan Web3 space, subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter covering the latest from the land of the rising sun, and watch out for our Japan web3 spaces on Twitter.