Web3 Collaboration Drives Japan's Cultural Tourism through Tokenization

On April 21, 2025, Plathome Co., Ltd. and Appare Co., Ltd. announced a strategic partnership aimed at promoting cultural tourism in Japan by utilizing Web3 technology and tokenization of cultural assets. This collaboration merges Plathome's expertise in tokenizing real-world assets (RWA) through blockchain technology with Appare's specialized knowledge in promoting and supporting tangible and intangible cultural heritage across the country. Together, they seek to create a new digital economy that bridges regions and transcends borders in the effective use of cultural heritage.

The Background of Collaboration

Plathome has been at the forefront of developing and utilizing open-source software, facilitating IoT and communication. They have created a technology called ThingsToken™, which tokenizes real-world assets on a blockchain, aimed at contributing to the creation of a new internet known as Web3. Additionally, they are actively engaging in digital customer touchpoints by providing official applications for Japan's largest competitive fireworks festival, held in Akita Prefecture, starting from 2024.

Meanwhile, Appare has been dedicated to promoting cultural tourism based on historical and valuable traditional cultural assets. Their efforts are focused on enhancing the value of traditional culture and providing tourist resources from a global perspective. Last year, Appare supported over 50 cultural assets across various regions while collaborating closely with stakeholders to sustain and advance traditional culture for future generations.

However, Japanese traditional culture is currently facing numerous challenges, such as declining birth rates and an aging population, a shortage of inheritors, decreased attraction to these cultural sites, insufficient funding, and lack of recognition outside local areas. By collaborating, both companies believe they can offer valuable solutions to enhance the value of traditional culture and promote regional tourism growth.

Scope of Initiatives

The partnership will primarily offer support for cultural tourism stakeholders, such as municipalities and related organizations, to enhance tourism through local tangible and intangible cultural asset production and digital transformation (DX) solutions. Specific activities include planning and product development for tourism utilization of cultural assets, as well as fan marketing initiatives led by Appare. Plathome will focus on improving user convenience and fostering local economic development through solutions based on Web3 and digital technologies.

Together, they aim to create a society where cultural heritage can be confidently passed down to future generations and develop a sustainable cycle model that generates continuous profits throughout the year for cultural inheritance.

Conclusion

The collaboration between Plathome and Appare is a significant step towards revitalizing Japan's cultural landscape through innovation and technology. By leveraging blockchain and tokenization, they aspire to not only preserve Japan's rich cultural heritage but also make it accessible and beneficial to a wider audience, thus enhancing the overall cultural tourism experience in the country.

Company Overviews

Plathome Co., Ltd.

- Location: 4-1-3 Kudankita, Chiyoda City, Tokyo
- CEO: Tomoyasu Suzuki
- Business: Development and sales of microservers, IoT gateways, and related network products.
- Website: Plathome

Appare Co., Ltd.

- Location: 2-255 Miyagawa-suji, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City
- CEO: Yohei Yamamoto
- Business: Promotion of tourism leveraging traditional culture, support services, and fan marketing.
- Website: Appare

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