Historic Moment! Founder Reveals 14 Years of Truth and Challenges in Regional Revitalization
On Sunday night, a special AMA was held featuring Chairman Nishi, founder and chairman of YuruChara Grand Prix (now YuruVerse). With an impressive 253 participants, the session covered 14 years of behind-the-scenes history, serious challenges facing Japan’s regional revitalization, and the innovative YuruCoin project as a solution, passionately discussed over approximately one hour.
Speaker Introductions
Chairman Nishi (YuruChara Grand Prix Founder & Current Chairman)
- Former Toshiba EMI music producer (until 2000)
- Production credits include Bronsons, Hiroko Anzai, and others
- Independent since 2000, established “Katte ni Kanko Kyokai” (Unofficial Tourism Association) with Jun Miura
- Contributed to popularizing the term “YuruChara”
- Founded YuruChara Grand Prix in 2011
Kubo-san (YuruCoin Marketing Manager & MC)
- Active as Liberta Kubo
- Marketing manager for YuruCoin and YuruToken projects
The Truth About YuruChara Grand Prix Starting from 3.11
The Fateful March 2011
Chairman Nishi vividly recalled the situation at that time. On March 12, 2010, Kumamon debuted to coincide with the opening of Kumamoto Station on the Kyushu Shinkansen. However, the grand ceremony planned for March 12, 2011, celebrating the complete opening of the Kyushu Shinkansen, was cancelled due to the Great East Japan Earthquake the day before.
Japan’s Situation Immediately After the Disaster
- Music and entertainment disappeared from all of Japan
- Foreign tourists fled the country
- Even BBC staff said “we might return to Britain tomorrow”
- Economic activities completely halted
In this desperate situation, Chairman Nishi decided to launch YuruChara Grand Prix, thinking “Could we provide some bright news?”
Behind Kumamon’s Victory
Unknown episodes from when Kumamon won the first YuruChara Grand Prix were revealed:
Staff’s Emotional Breakdown
- All events were cancelled due to the earthquake, leaving Kumamon’s future uncertain
- Kumamoto Prefecture staff cried heavily on stage when winning the Grand Prix
- This victory dramatically changed Kumamon’s destiny
The “Retirement” Controversy the Following Year
- Kumamon lost in sumo wrestling on a TV program the day after the Grand Prix, causing public concern
- Kumamoto Prefecture asked “Would it be okay not to participate next year?”
- Chairman Nishi’s proposal led to continued participation as an “Ambassador”
- The current staging of “winner characters appearing on clouds” originated from this Kumamon proposal
Kumamon’s Secrets
Genius Cost-Efficient Design
- Only three colors: white, black, and red (cheeks)
- Strategic design that significantly reduces printing costs
- Was an “extra” character not included in the original proposal by Gaku Mizuno
The Serious Distortion of the 1.1 Trillion Yen Furusato Tax Market
Reality of the Massive Market
Chairman Nishi revealed that the Furusato tax market reached 1.1 trillion yen in Reiwa 5 (2023), becoming an e-commerce market second only to Yahoo Shopping.
Oligopoly by Four Major Platforms
- Rakuten Furusato Tax
- Satofuru
- Furusato Choice
- Furunavi
These four sites control 94% (approximately 940 billion yen) of the total market, leaving about 60 billion yen to be shared among approximately 26 other sites in an extremely uneven structure.
Problems with Performance-Based Fee Systems
“Only Fight Winnable Battles” Structure
- Platforms only promote products that sell well
- Hokkaido and Kyushu livestock and seafood products have overwhelming advantages
- Regions without specialty products are perpetually disadvantaged
Specific Damage Cases
- Hamamatsu City: Despite earning from Furusato tax, suffers losses due to higher tax outflow
- Core cities with populations around 800,000 are most vulnerable
- Regional competition rather than true regional revitalization
Connection to Declining Birthrate Issues
Vicious Cycle of Population Concentration in Tokyo Area
- Concentration of young women in four prefectures: Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, and Tokyo
- High living costs create barriers to marriage and childbirth
- 2024 birth numbers finally fell below 700,000
- Acceleration of regional population decline
Digital Agency’s Regional Coin Demonstration Experiment
Cash Distribution Cost Issues
Chairman Nishi mentioned the enormous costs involved in cash distribution:
- Security costs required for ATM cash replenishment
- Inefficiency of cash management in rural areas
- Need for cashless systems
My Number Card Utilization Experiment
- Demonstration experiment in Fukui Prefecture
- Storing regional currency data in unused capacity of My Number Card IC chips
- Building payment systems within regions
- 50 municipalities considering issuing regional coins
Receiving this movement, Chairman Nishi stated he was convinced that “cryptocurrency is no longer suspicious but has become a trump card for regional revitalization.”
Innovative Design of YuruCoin and YuruToken
Two Token Systems
1. YuruCoin (Solana Chain)
- Purpose: Additional voting in YuruChara Grand Prix
- Mechanism: Partially burned during voting
- Effect: Tokens become rarer as voting activity increases
- Current Status: Tradeable on Radium
2. YuruToken (FiNANCiE Platform)
- Purpose: Condition for supporting token issuance for companies and municipalities
- Mechanism: Mandatory holding requirement for new entrants
- Effect: Continuous buying pressure as participating companies and municipalities increase
- Schedule: Crowdfunding to start in early July
Point System Innovation
Response to Furusato Tax Point System Abolition
- October 2024: Decision to abolish Furusato tax point systems
- Rakuten Points and similar rewards no longer possible
- Introduction of YuruChara Grand Prix’s original point system
- One-way conversion system from points to YuruCoin
Regional Coin Umbrella Brand Strategy
Chairman Nishi revealed the grand vision of “making YuruCoin the generic term for regional coins.”
Brand Strategy Examples
- Costume = YuruChara (already established)
- Regional Coin = YuruCoin (goal)
- “Casually starting cryptocurrency” = YuruCoin
Corporate Entry Strategy and Mascot Characters
History of Corporate Mascots
Chairman Nishi mentioned the history of corporate mascot characters:
- Corporate mascots like Peko-chan (Fujiya) have longer histories than municipal ones
- Recent rapid increase in corporate character utilization needs
- Importance of region-focused corporate characters
2025 Strategy
- Integration of corporate and municipal character rankings
- Addition of regional contribution as evaluation criteria
- Consciousness reform for Nagoya companies to support Nagoya
Special Airdrop Campaign Details
Participant-Exclusive Benefits
The following benefits were announced for the 253 AMA participants:
1. All Today’s Participants
- Gift of 10 YuruCoins
- Additional 10 coins (total 20) for those who also participated in the June 6 AMA
2. Large Airdrop for YuruCoin Holders
- Target: Holders of 1,000+ coins
- Implementation: Snapshot on a certain day
- Content: Large airdrop (details to be announced later)
Application Method
- Participant account names already recorded
- Dedicated application form to be released next week
- Announcement via YuruCoin official Twitter and FiNANCiE community
September 27-28 Sumida Park Event Details
Real Event Integration
2025 YuruVerse Final Battle
- Venue: Sumida Park, Tokyo
- Format: Offline real event
- New Feature: Introduction of additional voting system using YuruCoin
Evolution of Voting System
- Continuation of traditional one-vote-per-day system
- Addition of YuruCoin additional voting function
- Full operation of burn mechanism during voting
Chairman Nishi’s Final Message
At the end of the AMA, Chairman Nishi expressed his true feelings about the project to the 253 participants:
Japan’s Critical Situation
- Reality of “everything except Tokyo sinking”
- Even Osaka has begun population decline
- Decline of primary industries that form the foundation of regional economies
- Structural problems like logistics costs (gasoline provisional tax rates)
The Power of Entertainment
- Philosophy of “shouldn’t be too serious”
- Even peace songs don’t resonate if too serious
- YuruCoin is a “big challenge” for Chairman Nishi
- But feels strong potential
Ultimate Vision
Path to Regional Economic Recovery
- Getting people to live in rural areas
- Creating mechanisms for regional economic circulation
- Making YuruCoin function as the blood (currency) of this system
The hour-long AMA concluded with the words: “I hope YuruCoin can become that blood circulation currency.”
Project Innovation and Future Potential
Three Innovation Elements
1. Utilization of Established IP
- YuruChara Grand Prix with 14 years of track record
- Success stories like Kumamon and Funassyi
- Annual traffic of hundreds of millions of page views
2. Direct Connection to Social Issue Resolution
- Correcting distorted structure of Furusato tax
- Concrete means for regional revitalization
- Indirect contribution to declining birthrate issues
3. Sustainable Tokenomics
- Scarcity enhancement through vote burning
- Continuous buying pressure from corporate entry
- Actual linkage with regional economies
Investment Opportunity Appeal
Ultra-Early Stage Participation
- YuruCoin: Purchasable on Radium (currently circulating)
- YuruToken: Crowdfunding scheduled to start in July
- Recognition and holder numbers still limited
Clear Value Appreciation Mechanism
- Design where usage (voting) increases rarity
- Increased buying demand from corporate and municipal entry
- Expected expansion of overall regional coin market
Relatively Low Risk Factors
- Established business model (YuruChara Grand Prix)
- Proven operational structure (14 years of continuous track record)
- Sustainability through social significance
Future Roadmap
Short-term (July-September 2024)
- YuruToken crowdfunding launch
- Construction of Point → YuruCoin conversion system
- Operation of voting system at Sumida Park event
Medium-term (October 2024-2025)
- Response to Furusato tax point system abolition
- Full-scale entry of companies and municipalities
- Establishing position in regional coin market
Long-term (2025 onwards)
- Expansion to all 5,000 municipalities nationwide
- Establishing “Regional Coin = YuruCoin” brand
- Completion of true regional revitalization model
Participant Reactions & Q&A
Major Questions and Answers
Q: Where can I purchase YuruCoin? A: Available for trading on Radium on the Solana chain.
Q: When can I purchase YuruToken? A: Crowdfunding scheduled to start on FiNANCiE in early July.
Q: What are the airdrop conditions? A: Today’s AMA participants receive 10 coins, with an additional 10 coins for those who also participated in the 6/6 AMA. Holders of 1,000+ coins are eligible for a separate large airdrop.
Participant Number Progression
- Start: About 200 people
- Mid-session: 239 people
- Final: 253 people
This significantly exceeded the previous June 6 AMA (168 participants), demonstrating high interest in the project.
Summary
Project Essence
What became clear from this AMA is that the YuruCoin project is not merely a cryptocurrency speculation venture, but a comprehensive social issue resolution project combining the following elements:
1. Addressing Serious Social Problems
- Correcting structural distortions in Furusato tax
- Providing concrete means for regional revitalization
- Alleviating Tokyo’s excessive centralization
2. Solid Business Foundation
- 14 years of continuous track record
- Annual traffic of hundreds of millions of page views
- Alignment with government (Digital Agency) direction
3. Innovative Business Model
- Mechanism where value increases with usage
- Buying pressure from corporate and municipal entry
- Fusion of entertainment and social contribution
For Those Considering Investment/Participation
Free Participation
Today’s AMA participation grants rights to 10 YuruCoins
Additional Participation
- YuruCoin purchase (Radium)
- YuruToken purchase (July)
Long-term Holding
1,000+ coin holders eligible for large airdrop
For Those Emphasizing Social Contribution
- Contribute to regional revitalization while supporting favorite characters
- Balance investment returns with social significance
- Opportunity to participate in Japan’s regional economic recovery
As Chairman Nishi’s words indicate: “I want to create a country where regional economies can thrive. I hope YuruCoin becomes the blood currency for that.” This project can be considered a historic initiative with the potential to influence Japan’s future.
【Important】Future Information Sources
- YuruCoin Official Twitter/X: Latest information and airdrop application form distribution
- FiNANCiE Community: YuruToken-related information
- Regular AMAs: Scheduled to continue
【Important Notes】
- Investment decisions are your own responsibility
- Beware of fake sites and scams
- Trust only information from official accounts
This article summarizes the content of the X Spaces AMA held on June 8, 2025. Please check official channels for the latest information.
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