NFT REVIEW Hakuhodo and Japan Airlines Launching Second KOKYO NFT Series

Hakuhodo, in collaboration with Japan Airlines (JAL), is gearing up to unveil the anticipated second series of “KOKYO NFTs” this February. This initiative presents a truly unique approach to tourism, offering exclusive access to six immersive local experiences across Japan through the power of NFTs. 

Building upon their initial pilot in February 2023, which explored and experimented with NFTs’ potential to enhance local experiences, the new series aims to forge even deeper connections between tourists and local businesses.

Elevating Local Attractions with NFTs

The first experiment from Japan Airlines, one of the world’s most punctual airlines, and Hakuhodo revealed NFTs’ unique ability to add new value to local attractions by creating limited and highly sought-after experiences. Additionally, it explored the concept of tokenizing these experiences to strengthen the bonds between visitors and local entities. 

After learning from the first round, they now shift the spotlight to regional real-world assets (RWAs), highlighting Japan’s rich tapestry of culture and crafts that the wider world has yet to explore. By converting these hidden treasures into tokenized assets across six different regions, this collaboration aims to elevate the profile of these experiences and stimulate regional development by attracting global interest.

The KOKYO NFT Experiences

The KOKYO NFT collection involves minting and selling six distinct NFT types on Astar zkEVM, which is powered by Polygon, an Ethereum Layer-2 blockchain. 

Scheduled for sale in March 2024, each NFT offers an amazing local experience. These range from launching fireworks at Lake Toya in Hokkaido to crafting an original kitchen knife with artisans in Echizen/Sabae, Fukui. 

Furthermore, these experiences also feature participating in the ageing of kokuto shochu in Amami, Kagoshima, creating artwork for the Space Art Festival in Minamitane, embracing samurai culture with the Tachibana Family in Yanagawa, Fukuoka, and tasting rare sake at the Meiri Sake Brewery in Mito, Ibaraki.

Rarible serves as the official NFT marketplace, facilitating the sales of the KOKYO NFTs.

Dynamic NFTs: An Evolving Experience

Accompanying the release of the six KOKYO NFT types is a unique promotion featuring dynamic NFTs. Dynamic NFTs evolve over time or when specific criteria are met. Running from February 5 to March 1, 2024, this campaign, available to mint now, uses origami—a symbol widely recognized in Japan—as the basis for changes, allowing participants to watch their NFTs transform.

Campaign participants will be gifted a FREE Origami Paper NFT and embark on weekly Kokyo NFT quests to progress their origami creations. Finally, those who complete all quests and reach the final stage of their origami masterpiece will secure a spot on the Kokyo NFT allow list.