An NFT granting the right to name the new canoe center that Nishikawa Town, Yamagata Prefecture, will open in June 2025 at Lake Gassan, one of Japan's leading canoe racing courses, was sold at auction on HEXA, one of Japan's largest NFT marketplaces, from 9/1 (Sun) 10:00 to 9/8 (Sun) 20:59.
HEXA, one of Japan's largest NFT marketplaces, is partnering with Nishikawa Town, Yamagata Prefecture, and Tobu Top Tours Co., Ltd. to turn the naming rights of the canoe center that Nishikawa Town will open in June 2025 at Lake Gassan, one of Japan's leading canoe racing courses, into an NFT and sell it at auction. By issuing the canoe center naming rights NFT, Nishikawa Town aims to create a related population — people who maintain an ongoing connection to a region without living there — and revitalize the area.
The canoe center naming rights NFT auction will run from September 1 (Sun), 10:00 to September 8 (Sun), 20:59. The canoe center to be named is located on the shore of Lake Gassan in Nishikawa Town. The canoe center name chosen by the winning bidder will actually be put up on a sign, where visitors will see it. The auction is open to companies as well as individuals.
About the canoe center to be named
Construction of the new canoe center is already underway, with completion scheduled for June 2025. The town aims to accelerate the growth of its visiting and related populations by attracting national canoe sprint competitions and training camps, expanding water activities such as leisure canoeing and SUP to draw tourists, and setting up a coworking space for telework and workations.
• Attract national canoe sprint competitions and training camps.
• Expand water activities such as leisure canoeing and SUP to draw tourists.
• Set up a coworking space for telework and workations.
• Expected to energize the town as a new "place where many people from inside and outside the town gather" in Nishikawa Town.
A sign with the name chosen by the winning bidder will be put up at the canoe center
A sign bearing the name chosen by the winning bidder will be installed at the canoe center for 5 years. This will showcase the name to visitors to the canoe center, and the center will be developed into a spot where many people stop by, as a gathering place whose naming rights were won at an NFT auction.
Benefits of winning the canoe center naming rights NFT
• The winner of this auction can name a real canoe center, and a sign bearing the name will be installed, so it can also be used to promote your company or services
• The sign will carry a QR code linking to the naming rights NFT, so anyone can check the NFT holder at any time
• Proceeds from the auction will be used for the development of Nishikawa Town, so you can contribute to a regional area
• If you wish, the town mayor will present you with a letter of appreciation at a ceremony for your cooperation in Nishikawa Town's regional revitalization
• The canoe center naming rights NFT can be resold (those who acquire it through resale do not receive naming rights, but the QR code on the sign shows that they are the owner, and they can hold it as proof of their support)
About the naming rights NFT auction for the new canoe center in Nishikawa Town, Yamagata Prefecture
Auction period: September 1 (Sun), 2024, 10:00 – September 8 (Sun), 20:59
Starting bid: ¥1,000
Auction page: https://nft.hexanft.com/nft/issue/VYxZ0ymr
Canoe center naming rights: The naming rights are granted only once, and only to the winning bidder of the primary sale auction held from September 1 (Sun), 2024, 10:00 to September 8 (Sun), 20:59. Please note that those who buy it through resale from the winning bidder on the secondary market, or who receive it by transfer, cannot name the center.
Naming the canoe center: Nishikawa Town, Yamagata Prefecture, will later contact the primary winning bidder at the email address used when bidding to ask for the desired canoe center name. Please note that we may ask you to change the name if it is contrary to public order and morals or infringes on another party's trademark.
Sign with the chosen name installed at the canoe center: A sign with the chosen canoe center name will be installed at the facility at a later date. The chosen canoe center name will also appear in town brochures and other materials produced in the future.
Letter of appreciation from the town mayor: When you visit Nishikawa Town, if you wish, we will hold a ceremony at the canoe center you named, where the town mayor will present you with a letter of appreciation for your cooperation in Nishikawa Town's regional revitalization.
Companies can also participate: The auction is open to companies as well as individuals.
About Lake Gassan, one of Japan's leading canoe racing courses
<Recent competitions and events>
August 2017: Canoe sprint events of the Minami-Tohoku Inter-High School Championships
July 2019: FY2019 JOC Junior Olympic Cup National Junior High School Canoe Championships
2020: No competitions held due to the COVID-19 pandemic
July 2021: Pre-Games training camps for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (Republic of Moldova, Republic of Chile, Japan)
August 2021: FY2021 JOC Junior Olympic Cup National Junior High School Canoe Championships
August 2021: All Japan Intercollegiate Canoe Sprint Championships (Intercollegiate)
August 2022: Kanto Intercollegiate Canoe Sprint Championships
August 2023: Canoe sprint events of the Hokkaido Inter-High School Championships (canoe sprint held at Lake Gassan as an exception)
<Permanent 1,000 m courses in Japan>
① Fuchu Lake Canoe Course, Sakaide City, Kagawa Prefecture
② Kibagata Canoe Course, Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture
③ Lake Gassan Canoe Sprint Course, Nishikawa Town, Yamagata Prefecture
These are the only three, and Lake Gassan is the only one in eastern Japan.
<Spectator environment>
From the stands, spectators have a completely unobstructed view of the entire course from start to finish.
<Access>
A convenient location just 3 minutes by car from the Gassan IC on the Yamagata Expressway and 1 minute by car from National Route 112.
Video message from the mayor of Nishikawa Town, Yamagata Prefecture
Results of the canoe center naming rights NFT auction
The auction, which started on 9/1 (Sun) at 10:00, received 7 bids on the first day. The price then rose to ¥50,000 on 9/2 (Mon), ¥100,000 on 9/3 (Tue) and ¥301,001 on 9/4 (Wed). After that, there was a bid of ¥321,984 on 9/6 (Fri) and a bid of ¥500,000 on 9/7 (Sat). Then, on the final day, 9/8 (Sun), bidding heated up with a total of 6 bids, and the auction finally closed with a bid of ¥1,500,000.
Auction period: 2024/9/1 10:00 – 2024/9/8 20:59:59
Number of bids: 21
Number of bidders: 11
Winning bid: ¥1,500,000 (tax included)
Auction page: https://nft.hexanft.com/nft/issue/VYxZ0ymr
About Nishikawa Town, Yamagata Prefecture
Nishikawa Town, in central Yamagata Prefecture, has a population of about 5,000, with Mt. Gassan, one of the Three Mountains of Dewa, to the south and Mt. Asahi of the Asahi Mountains to the north. It is a town blessed with nature, in an area of heavy snowfall, through which flows the Sagae River, ranked Japan's clearest river, and centered on Lake Gassan, a popular tourist spot. It is also a transportation hub served by National Route 112 and the Yamagata Expressway.
Nishikawa Town official website: http://www.town.nishikawa.yamagata.jp/
About HEXA, the NFT marketplace
A Japanese NFT marketplace where you can issue, buy and sell NFTs using Japanese yen alone. You can easily buy NFTs by credit card from a PC or smartphone. No crypto or wallet is needed at all, so you can buy, sell or issue NFTs right away. If you have a HEXA Residents NFT or a LAND NFT, you can also display the NFTs you buy in the HEXA Metaverse. HEXA also offers community features such as Web3-style online salons and fan clubs, and 6blog, a service with NFTs that grant the right to read the rest of an article.
How NFT issuance works: https://hexanft.com/issuermanual/
Apply to issue NFTs here: https://nft.hexanft.com/issue