Yamakoshi: How about the post-disaster reconstruction mountain village that issued koi NFT?

Author: Social Punk

This is a case of a village embracing web3. Through NFT+DAO, the 800 villagers of Valley Records are facing an unprecedented challenge - to achieve borderless connections with 10,000 digital villagers around the world, to go beyond the common governance of physical space, to build Create a brand new, sustainable digital village. PANews also published an article before, "After CityDAO, this Japanese village with only 800 people will use NFT and DAO to save itself", introducing Yamakoshi's attempt.

Valley Shimura: The land of koi carp that may disappear

Yamashimura official website

Take the Shinkansen for about one and a half hours from Tokyo, arrive at Nagaoka City, Niigata County in the north-central part of Japan, and then drive southeast for about 40 minutes, you will arrive at Yamakoshi (also translated as Yamakoshi Village), A small mountain village with thousands of years of history.

This small mountain village located in the deep mountains has a snowfall thickness of up to 3 meters in winter. The terrain is rugged and there are few flat lands. The geographical environment is very harsh. But he has a beautiful legend about koi: about two hundred years ago, carp were farmed by the villagers of Yamashita as a valuable source of protein, taking advantage of heavy snow and abundant natural groundwater from the rugged terrain. One day, the villagers found a "colorful" carp born due to mutation. Because they couldn't bear to eat it, this beautiful carp was preserved. After years of reproduction, the koi carp miraculously born from the harsh natural environment and years are famous all over the world for their stunning beauty and vivid and delicate colors. As the birthplace of Japanese koi, Yashiya attracts tourists from all over the world.

In 2004, this beautiful mountain village was severely damaged by an earthquake. The 6.8-magnitude Chuetsu earthquake brought disaster to Yazhi Village. Houses were destroyed in a large area, most of the main roads in the village were cut off, and the entire village was forced to evacuate. At one point it was thought they would never go back.

In order to "return to Yamakoshi", the villagers established the "Yamakoshi Residents' Association". For 17 years, as head of the guild, Ms. Haruka Takeuchi has been working to rebuild Yamakoshi Village. But by 2021, Takeuchi found that they had to face a cruel fact. When the earthquake occurred, the population of Yamakoshi Village was about 2,200, and now only 800 people still live here. In addition, the aging rate exceeds 55%. In recent years, the overall population of Japan has continued to decrease, and it is difficult for the population of "Yamakoshi" to maintain growth. In other words, if it continues to develop at this pace, Yashimura may disappear sooner or later.

Issue koi NFT and build homes with 10,000 digital villagers around the world

NishikigoiNFT official website

In December 2021, Yashimura announced an unprecedented plan-to recruit 10,000 digital villagers from all over the world to build the first digital village open to the world. Takeuchi believes that the knowledge, network and all the resources possessed by the 10,000 digital residents will build a brand new and sustainable Yamakoshi Village.

Nishikigoi NFT is the "bridge" that connects digital villagers around the world beyond the limitations of physical space. The Yamakoshi Residents Association invited two artists to design koi-themed art generation works. Those who hold Nishikigoi NFT will become the people of Yashimura. Digital villagers.

From February to March 2022, Tani Shi Village opened two rounds of sales of a total of 1,500 Nishikigoi NFTs. That is to say, Tani Shi Village ushered in the first batch of global digital villagers.

Daqi, who lives in Shanghai, is one of the first batch of digital villagers in Shanshanzhi Village. For him, the Nishikigoi NFT project is a "surprise that he discovered by accident". When he learned the story behind the NFT, Daqi immediately made a decision to buy it. The physical distance did not prevent him from paying attention to Yashimura. Daqi often follows the progress of Yashimura through social media. In mid-August, Daqi invited Ms. Takeuchi, the person in charge of the "Nishikigoi Residents' Association", to conduct a live conversation with the Chinese community through Zoom, introducing the stories of Yashimura and Nishikigoi NFT.

NishikigoiNFT held by the big flag

During the live broadcast, Daqi raised his most concerned question, what is the attitude of the Japanese government towards the Yaji digital villager project. Ms. Takeuchi's answer was "very supportive". In Japan, from the prime minister to the local officials, they all pay close attention to this project. All mainstream media in Japan have also reported it. It can be said that it has attracted national attention. The Nagaoka City Government also provides tax relief for the sale of Nishikigoi NFT.

In March 2022, the Digital Society Promotion Headquarters of the Japanese Democratic Party released the "Digital Japan 2022" white paper, and NFT was positioned as one of the economic triggers of Web3. In May, the Prime Minister of Japan issued a statement that "the integration of new digital services such as Metaverse and NFT will bring economic growth to Japan." It is foreseeable that once the digital villager project of Yashimura is successful, its successful experience will be replicated in Japan Other similar remote mountain villages.

How can digital villagers participate in the reconstruction and governance of Yazhi Village?

More netizens in the Chinese area are most concerned about what digital villagers have brought to Yazhi Village, and how can Nishikigoi NFT holders participate in the reconstruction of Yashi Village?

Ms. Takeuchi patiently answered these questions in the live broadcast. First of all, through the sale of Nishikigoi NFT, it provided financial support for Yashimura. Due to the small population, Yashimura’s annual budget from Nagaoka City is quite limited, and NFT sales have become an important source of income for Yashimura.

The first two rounds of sales of Nishikigoi NFT are priced at 0.03 ETH, and the sale of 1,500 NFTs can bring 45 ETH to the treasury of Yashimura DAO (approximately $76,500 according to the quotation of $1,700/ETH on the press date).

How the funds are used is determined by voting by the Valley Zhi DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization), which is composed of digital villagers and local villagers. Discord has become the online meeting hall of Dao Zhi DAO. Villagers can put forward various ideas and plans, and then vote on which plans will be implemented through the DAO governance platform snapshot.

Valley Zhi’s voting record on DAO governance platform Snapshot

In March of this year, through the voting of Snapshot, Valley Zhi DAO selected 4 proposals from 12 proposals to give a total of 4 ETH financial support. One of the supported projects is to create a virtual Yamanshi Village in the Metaverse. Perhaps in the future, digital villagers from all over the world can often meet and communicate in the Yamakoshi Village of the Metaverse.

The most recent proposal received a 100% vote approval rate, giving free airdrops of Nishikigoi NFTs to local villagers in Yashi Village. Due to the large proportion of the elderly population in Yazhi Village, many villagers do not know how to use digital wallets. Up to now, only fifty or sixty residents have learned to use digital wallets and obtained Nishikigoi NFT, which is less than 10% of the total population. This also points out the challenge of co-governance between digital villagers and local villagers beyond the limitation of physical space.

However, the "Digital Villagers Returning Home" campaign has bridged the gap between the digital and the real world to a certain extent. After the release of Nishikigoi NFT, digital villagers continue to visit Yashimura. This visit is called "homecoming". Ms. Takeuchi introduced that before the digital villagers come, they will tell the local villagers in Discord in advance that they are going to "go home". Back in the village, digital villagers can enjoy the scenery of rice terraces in Shanshan Zhicun, experience the exciting bullfighting meeting, watch the beautiful koi carp, and listen to the local villagers’ dictation of the hardships of post-disaster reconstruction... These irreplaceable experiences have built the digital villagers’ understanding of Guzhi Village. At the same time, it also drives the operation of local homestays and the sales of local specialties such as fruits and agricultural products.

Currently, the digital residents of Yashi-mura have reached 981, exceeding the number of local residents. However, although Yashimura will compare Nishikigoi NFT with the "electronic right of residence" launched by Estonia in the Nordic country when introducing NFT, and describe Nishikigoi NFT as an NFT certificate of abode, but he has not yet seen the clear definition of the rights enjoyed by Yashimura on digital villagers. Introduction, for example, like Estonian e-citizens, can register companies remotely, obtain services provided by industrial and commercial government affairs and banks, etc.

Social Innovation: Web2 VS Web3

Michael Norton, known as the godfather of social innovation in Europe, in his book "365 Ways to Change the World" introduced a project similar to the digital villager in Shimura Valley - Nabuur Foundation, they help developing countries have Urban and rural communities in need open webpages, and community representatives submit their urgent problems online, and those who want to help can sign up to become "virtual neighbors" of this community. Virtual neighbors distributed in different places provide professional advice, contact possible resources, and submit plans to the community for discussion. After the community decides and implements the plan, these virtual neighbors can learn about the progress of the community from the pictures and reports published on the website.

Compared with "Virtual Neighbors", a web2 social innovation case, the "virtual villagers" in Yazhi Village provide more diversified help and more sticky community connections, thanks to web3's empowerment of social innovation.

Social innovation punk has discussed the advantages of NFT as Membership in the case of CPG Club. For example, NFT can empower the financing of the community; build an incentive mechanism for ecological builders, so that community members who hold NFT can share the value created by the community ; Empowering mobility, lowering the threshold for community members to join and exit, etc.

At the end of July, the price of Nishikigoi NFT rose retrogradely in the bear market to 0.6 ETH, which was 20 times the initial sale price, but Daqi did not choose to sell. I believe that there are many holders who are unwilling to sell easily like Daqi . In addition to having his own investment preferences, this may have something to do with the sense of belonging established by Taniyama Shimura. Nishikigoi NFT is not only an asset on the chain, but also a bond that can establish an emotional connection with the real world. Compared with the income obtained by selling assets, holders may be more reluctant to lose this unique sense of identity.

This autumn, Yashimura may start the third round of NFT sales - after the voting decision of the DAO of Yashikigoi, it is expected that the new digital villagers will bring more vitality to Yashimura. Whether you are a digital villager or not, you can go to the Discord of Yashimura. The humble Ms. Takeuchi often publishes the daily news of Yashimura on the Chinese channel; you can also put forward your creative ideas at any time, and you will get enthusiastic responses. The participation of digital villagers in rural reconstruction is a grand proposition, but behind this grand narrative are the human fireworks of three meals a day, and the long stream of water at sunrise and sunset...