KAGAWA, Mar 05 (News On Japan) - A new effort to revive a local shopping district is underway using a decentralized autonomous organization, or DAO, a leaderless structure in which individuals contribute what they can and decisions are made collectively.
At Chichibugahama Beach in Kagawa Prefecture, a natural spectacle appears when sunset coincides with low tide, turning the shallow waters into a mirror-like surface that reflects the sky.
The scenic beach has become a popular tourist destination, drawing around 500,000 visitors annually to the small port town of roughly 5,000 residents. Local organizers are now working to channel that popularity into broader regional revitalization.
In the Nio district of Mitoyo City, several buildings remain from the area’s past prosperity as a center of salt production. Rather than demolish or rebuild them, residents have begun repurposing the old structures as part of a project known as the “Minotake Shopping Street.”
Soichiro Imagawa, founder and representative of the Minotake Shopping Street DAO, said: "This area originally had many shops. The idea is that everyone works together to renovate them one by one."
So far, residents have transformed an old row house into a restaurant and used crowdfunding to convert a former bank building into a creative space where children can freely paint. They also raised investment for a weekend-only bar where locals can gather for drinks.
As the number of desired shops within walking distance gradually increases, a once-quiet street that saw little foot traffic during the day now lights up with activity on weekend evenings.
To further stimulate the local economy and create stronger ties with people outside the region, organizers launched the “Minotake Shopping Street DAO Project.”
A DAO is an organization without a single owner or manager, where participants make decisions through voting.
Under this framework, members decided to renovate a vacant house once owned by a beloved local resident known as Katchan. The property will be reborn as a facility featuring a restaurant and retail booths.
Those participating in the DAO are investors, and roughly 60% live outside Kagawa Prefecture. The renovated facility will include accommodation space, allowing investors to stay up to five times a year for each investment share they hold.
Plans are also underway to open a yakiniku restaurant on the site of a former rice wholesaler.
A distinctive feature of the DAO system is that investors can also participate directly in the work, with some helping with demolition and renovation.
Gaiax, which provides the technological platform supporting the DAO’s operations, plans to introduce a unique points system designed to make it easier for members to contribute their skills.
Yusuke Hiroto of the Gaiax DAO business division said: "For example, when someone joins the DAO, local members might pick them up at the airport and drive them to Mitoyo. It’s not just about investing and finishing there. By exchanging points within this contribution-based economic system, it creates real activity where people use and receive services. That makes it more interesting than traditional volunteering or short-term crowdfunding."
Looking ahead, the Minotake Shopping Street initiative aims to build a community centered on everyday enjoyment.
Imagawa said: "People only gather in places that are fun. The key is making our daily lives enjoyable. Creating the shops we ourselves want to use—that is the essence of the richness of living in this town."
One DAO member originally from the area who now lives in Sendai said: "It wouldn’t be right if Nio suddenly became flashy like a big city. That’s not what Nio is. It’s enough if the town becomes lively in its own way."
Source: FNN
