If keywords such as NFT and web3 began to be actively used in the general business scene around 2022, it may be said that the way we interact with NFTs in real life is now approaching the next phase. I don't know. Future Design Shibuya Kubota welcomed Mr. Katagiri from Digital Garage, a participating partner of Shibuya Mirai Design and a pioneer in the scene, and Mr. Dylan from Callback, its business partner, to talk about the future of Future Design Shibuya and NFT. I asked you about your story.
Creating a “connected” community with NFT
Kubota: Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule today. First of all, I would like to ask you about Digital Garage's initiatives set in Shibuya.
Last year, you also participated in SIW (SOCIAL INNOVATION WEEK).
Katagiri: I don't really feel that way when I'm in Japan, but just like Japanese people think, ``New York is amazing,'' from an overseas perspective, Shibuya is a symbolic city full of entertainment, and it's very interesting to see overseas. There are many NFT projects with a Shibuya theme. That's why, just as people think of Cannes as the city of movies, Shibuya can become a city where new technologies are created. Based on this idea, last year's SIW first held INTERNATIONAL SHIBUYA TOKYO NFT FESTIVAL 0 as a measure to distribute NFTs in the city of Shibuya.
Callback, in which we are also an investor, is working on a service that makes web3 more familiar by providing users with a web3 experience through familiar apps. Last year's SIW initiative was to experimentally distribute NFTs using their app. The last time was positioned as a demonstration experiment and was carried out for the 0th time, but after this, it was adopted as a startup officially supported by Shibuya City, and Shibuya companies were also involved as INTERNATIONAL SHIBUYA TOKYO NFT FESTIVAL 1. We are planning to hold the event for the first time this year. I would like you to come to Shibuya and experience NFT and web3.
INTERNATIONAL SHIBUYA TOKYO NFT FESTIVAL official website
https://festival-shibuya.io/4
Kubota Callback, what kind of efforts have you made with Shibuya Ward so far?
Dylan: We believe that the strength of NFTs is community building, and we also believe that for startup companies, it is very important to build a community throughout the city and support each other. Therefore, we are planning to distribute memberships to Shibuya City's incubator program as NFTs.
Kubota: For me, NFTs have the image of collecting digital works in a wallet, but how can NFTs be used to build a community?
Dylan: For example, I think it's similar to a golf membership, where once you purchase a membership or go to an event and receive tickets, you can continue to communicate with others in an online community. When there is a person or celebrity in the community that they want to meet, those who want to join the group purchase memberships, and the community gradually grows.
Kubota: So you're trying to implement that in Shibuya.
And at this year's SIW, you are also thinking about the next measures, right?
Katagiri: Yes, we will be working with Callback on this year as well. This time, instead of just handing out NFTs, I'm thinking of offering benefits to those who collect them all. If last year was a PoC-like initiative, this year I would like to take a step up so that people can get a concrete feel for how to use NFTs after distributing them. While using Callback's system, I used exactly the city.
In extreme terms, you could say that an NFT image is just a JPEG image, but instead, like this stamp rally, if you collect NFTs, you will receive incentive benefits. I hope that it will be used as a tool to connect cities and people, and brands and people.
SIW2023 “SHIBUYA’s New Souvenir & International NFT Festival Stamp Rally”
▶︎https://social-innovation-week-shibuya.jp/timetable/event/ex30/
KubotaWe work in the city of Shibuya, but it's very difficult to get people to circulate around the city like at a stamp rally. That's a very high hurdle for marketing.
Katagiri: Yes, to that end, I think it is important to properly design the incentives that can be obtained by collecting NFTs. This means that there will be a shift from "distribution" and "collection" of NFTs to "utilization".
Recently, we opened a members-only cafe & bar called "Crypto Cafe & Bar" in Daikanyama, and we created a bar-like place that only people with NFT tickets can enter, making it attractive. I think it is also effective to go.
Crypto Cafe & Bar
https://cryptocafe.bar/
From “collecting” NFTs to “utilizing” them
Kubota: It's true that I also have a wallet on my smartphone, but it's true that it's just a wallet, and I really wish there were more ways to use it.
Katagiri: For example, let's say Future Design Shibuya issues an NFT to commemorate today's interview. If there is an NFT that only people who have been interviewed by Future Design Shibuya have, then a secret party can be held where only those who have it can participate. It can be used to build a strong community, and when other people look at your wallet, they can see that this is the person who was interviewed by Future Design Shibuya. What kind of NFT was given to whom is basically made public, so by looking at the contents of the wallet, you can say, for example, ``This person likes art'' or ``This person likes art.'' You can tell that he likes cars.
If NFT certificates of participation are issued at music festivals and motor shows, we will be able to understand people's hobbies and preferences, which will be meaningful from a marketing perspective, and will also serve as an opportunity for communication to connect with people.
In this way, I think we are finally approaching the phase of actually using NFTs, starting with distributing them.
In addition to Dylan, when it comes to the use of NFTs, there are increasing examples of systems in which chips are placed in luxury brand bags, which often have counterfeit products, and these chips become blockchain assets. I am. Another interesting product that uses the same mechanism is Italian cheese. This is also a problem because there are many fakes on the market. When cheese is shipped, it is in the form of a large block, but a microchip is placed inside the block to prove that the cheese has come from the correct source.
Kubota: I see. It would be better to have Wagyu beef as well.
KatagiriAlso, by storing the actual products such as wine and whiskey in a warehouse and exchanging NFTs linked to them, it is possible to eliminate the problems of product deterioration and transportation costs when taking items in and out of the warehouse. can.
This system called RWA (Real World Asset) is used in trading cards, for example, and there are an increasing number of cases where NFT cards are being bought and sold in place of the real thing.
Kubota:Instead of just turning JPEG images into NFTs and completing them digitally, there are an increasing number of cases in which NFTs are used by linking them to real things in real life, such as wine, art, or cards. is not it. In such a situation, what kind of challenges do you face?
Dylan web3 itself has just started, so it seems that many people are still fixated on the technical aspects. For example, I'm often asked things like, ``What blockchain is this NFT collection using?'' But when you send an email, you don't ask, ``What server are you using?''
KubotaIt 's true that sending emails is so normal that we don't even think about the server.
In Dylan Japan, web3 can still be said to be at that stage. In many countries overseas, NFTs are more commonly understood.
However, I think one of the strengths of Japan and Shibuya is its brand power. There are many successful NFT projects using Japanese IP overseas, and cyberpunk NFT collections inspired by Shibuya are also becoming popular.
If web3 becomes popular in Japan, I imagine that many NFT projects will emerge from Japanese creators that will spread all over the world. And that's why we're in Japan.
As Kubota Digital Garage, what kind of initiatives are you planning to do from Shibuya in the future?
Katagiriweb3 is still working in collaboration with various companies, especially those with offices in Shibuya, rather than a single enterprise doing something. In the city of Shibuya, while collaborating with creators.
There are limits to what we can do on our own, so we would like to make use of our respective strengths and compensate for each other's weaknesses, and spread the word about new web3 technologies and services in the city of Shibuya. . I think Shibuya has that potential.
Kubota: I would like to help Future Design Shibuya gradually expand that kind of circle. Once we receive input into Future Design Shibuya, one of our roles is to make sure that that information is communicated to many member companies, and we also carry out many consortium-like initiatives like this.
Katagiri is great. I think each individual company has its own challenges, but I feel there is potential in everyone working together to design something using Future Design Shibuya as a starting point. We would be happy to cooperate with you in this regard.
■ INFO ■
At SIW, Mr. Katagiri will also have a presentation session.
SIW2023 | November 11th (Sat) 10:00 – 10:40
Conference “TO THE NEXT ~ How to deal with ever-changing entertainment technology”
https://social-innovation-week-shibuya.jp/timetable/event/cf31/
