HITOHATA,INC. has signed a collaboration agreement with Okazaki City (Mayor: Yasuhiro Nakane) and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone West Corporation Tokai Branch (Executive Officer, Tokai Branch Manager: Masahiro Abe, hereinafter referred to as NTT West Japan) to promote "digital transformation (DX)" that uses metaverse and XR technology to solve local issues in the tourism sector and work together to solve local tourism issues.

While the new lifestyle of living with COVID-19 is spreading rapidly, the trend toward digitalization and onlineization is also accelerating in the tourism sector, and expectations for the use of XR technology in the tourism sector are increasing.

By further collaborating with Okazaki City, HITOHATA,INC., and NTT West Japan, we aim to find a new way of cultural tourism that combines Okazaki City's tourism and cultural resources with advanced technology, and by promoting DX in the tourism sector, we aim to revitalize the region, improve its brand power, and achieve sustainable tourism management.

In conjunction with the signing of the collaboration agreement, NTT has released the "Metaverse of the Important Cultural Property Daihojo Screen Paintings of Seidosan Daiju-ji Temple, the Tokugawa Shogunate's Family Temple, on its XR space platform "DOOR."

(From the left: NTT West Japan Executive Officer and Tokai Branch Manager Abe Masahiro, Okazaki City Mayor Nakane Yasuhiro, and HITOHATA,INC. Representative Director Higashiyama Takeaki)

Background of the initiative

While the new lifestyle of the COVID-19 pandemic is spreading rapidly, the trend towards digitalization and onlineization is also accelerating in the tourism sector, and expectations for the use of XR technology in the tourism sector are growing.

Okazaki City is home to historical and cultural tourist resources such as Okazaki Castle and Daijuji Temple. In recent years, with the progress of the Otsugawa Riverfront Development Project in front of Higashi-Okazaki Station, we have been promoting public-private partnerships using the public space of the Otsugawa Riverfront area, in addition to the installation of a statue of Tokugawa Ieyasu. In addition to projects such as Tenka-no-michi and the development of the surrounding area of ​​Sakurajo Bridge, we are working to create a variety of attractions that go beyond history and culture, such as utilizing the tourist resources of the entire city.

HITOHATA,INC. has produced the "Okazaki Castle Tower Projection Mapping," "Tokugawa Shogun Family Temple Seido-san Daijuji Projection Mapping and Digital Art Night Visit," and "Sakurajo Bridge x Rally Japan Projection Mapping," and has been working to revitalize the region by utilizing Okazaki City's tourist and cultural resources and digital technology. We are also involved in the planning and production of VR content such as "Okazaki Castle 1645VR" and "Daijuji Temple Important Cultural Property Daihojo Wall Painting VR".

As a "social ICT pioneer", NTT West Japan is working to solve and revitalize local issues through the power of ICT, utilizing the experience and advanced technologies it has cultivated to date, in response to various social issues brought about by environmental changes surrounding society. In the Smart City Model Project (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism project) in Okazaki City from 2019 to 2021, we have promoted the realization of a fun, comfortable, safe, walkable and smart city by conducting demonstration experiments and feasibility verification using city data including people flow data.

This time, Okazaki City, HITOHATA,INC., and NTT West Japan will work together even more to find a new way of cultural tourism that combines Okazaki City's tourism and cultural resources with advanced technology, and by promoting DX in the tourism sector, we will revitalize the region, improve its brand power, and aim for sustainable tourism management.

Main contents of the agreement and division of roles

Promoting cultural tourism using digital technology with an eye on the 2023 Taiga drama and the post-COVID era

*Specific initiatives and implementation methods will be decided through discussion between the parties to the agreement

(1) Okazaki City will cooperate in utilizing tourism resources within Okazaki City.

(2) HITOHATA,INC. will provide XR content of Okazaki City's cultural and tourism resources created through Ichiki's business activities and utilize it in the metaverse.

(3) NTT West Japan will cooperate in building and utilizing the metaverse using the XR space platform "DOOR" provided by Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT).

*DOOR is a trademark of NTT. https://door.ntt

<Image of cultural tourism in a virtual space>

(For smartphones)

(For PC)

Date of signing the partnership agreement

June 20, 2022

Future developments

The results of this partnership agreement will be used to develop services for future tourism management.

About the test content "Tokugawa Shogun Family Temple, Seido-san Daiju-ji Temple, Important Cultural Property, Daihojo Screen Painting Metaverse"

In conjunction with the signing of the partnership agreement, we have released the "Tokugawa Shogun Family Temple, Seido-san Daiju-ji Temple, Important Cultural Property, Daihojo Screen Painting Metaverse" on NTT's XR space platform "DOOR".

[Public URL] https://door.ntt/Anx55Vs/cyan-humongous-area