News Release
Niseko Hirafu Area Management
Tokyu Resort Service Co., Ltd.
Orb Inc.
North Detail K.K.
Second Demonstration Experiment Commences for NISEKO Pay, an Electronic Community Currency
Available for Visitors to the Area Including Inbound Tourists, Aiming for Greater Circulation Within the Region
Niseko Hirafu Area Management (President: Junko Watanabe; hereinafter, “NHAM”), Tokyu Resort Service Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Motoyoshi Kumazawa; hereinafter, “TRS”), Orb Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Mamoru Fujimoto; hereinafter, “Orb”), and North Detail K.K. (Headquarters: Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido; President: Jun Shibuya; hereinafter, “North Detail”) hereby announce the start of a demonstration experiment for NISEKO Pay, an electronic community currency offered by NHAM to revitalize the economy of the Niseko area. The demonstration experiment commenced on November 23, 2019, and is being conducted with Orb DLT, a community currency platform that uses blockchain/distributed ledger technology.
NISEKO Pay is an electronic community currency issued in the Niseko area. It can be used at ski resorts including the Niseko Mountain Resort Grand Hirafu, which is operated by TRS, as well as nearby restaurants and shops.
Last fiscal year, a demonstration experiment was conducted involving 250 people working in the Hirafu area with the cooperation of 50 nearby restaurants and shops. About 90% of the subjects recognized the convenience of NISEKO Pay. The experiment this fiscal year will expand the range of subjects to include tourists. In addition, the electronic currency can be used at restaurants and shops in the Kutchan/Hirafu area to improve user convenience and promote its use.
It was also decided that Sapporo Drug Store Co., Ltd., which operates stores all over Hokkaido and is popular with local people, will cooperate in the experiment as a member company. The company agrees with the idea of local revitalization in Hokkaido.
Among the 200 drug stores in Hokkaido that are operated by Sapporo Drug Store, three in the Niseko area have joined the project. This is believed to contribute greatly to revitalizing the local economy, which is the goal of the project. NHAM, TRS, Orb and North Detail will work even more closely with the local community than in the previous fiscal year, aiming to strengthen the project.
■ About the demonstration experiment
In this demonstration experiment, local volunteer participants receive bonus coins as a special offer. Italso allows users to donate to NHAM in the app, forming the basis of NHAM’s activities. In this project, NHAM plays the leading role in promoting production and consumption of money within the area, leading it to the future revitalization of local economy in the Niseko area and sustainable town development, and helping to make the area an attractive international tourist destination. Coins offered by participants in last fiscal year’s experiment became part of the fund for town development activities, including a local cleanup, which were implemented using this fund.
The Orb DLT is a community currency platform that uses unique distributed ledger technology (DLT). It enables multiple unique currencies with various characteristics to be issued and used for payment, money transfer and similar purposes at brick-and-mortar stores and other facilities. It also enables customization of currency with various functions, such as granting of bonus points, discounts, limited-time offers, and conversion into other currencies. Thus, Orb DLT enables currencies to be designed according to the needs of communities and areas. The technology aims to serve many community currencies, regional currencies, bonus point programs, settlements with companies’ internal currencies and others. The Wallet app was developed by North Detail K.K., a Hokkaido-based company that engages in the development of digital government and mobility IoT services.
*“QR Code” is a registered trademark of DENSO Wave Incorporated.
Reference: Screenshots of NISEKO Pay (for illustrative purposes only)
・ Japanese version
・ English version
Contact Information:
[Inquiries about this demonstration experiment]
Niseko Hirafu Area Management
E-mail: [email protected] TEL: 03-6455-5906
[Inquiries about the ski resort]
Tokyu Resort Service Co., Ltd.
E-mail: [email protected] TEL: 0136-22-0109
[Inquiries about the system and technologies]
Orb inc.
E-mail: [email protected] TEL: 03-6820-2100
North Detail K.K.
E-mail: [email protected] TEL: 011-204-7007
