Neo Yamakoshi Village
The Journey of Yamakoshi Village
Preserving Culture Beyond Disaster
Yamakoshi is a small rural area nestled in the mountains of Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture. Following a nationwide municipal merger in 2005, it became part of Nagaoka City. However, its pristine landscapes and traditional way of life remain a striking example of Japan’s timeless countryside. While the region has always been prone to natural disasters, the magnitude of the 2004 Niigata Chuetsu Earthquake, which struck on October 23, was beyond imagination. The disaster completely isolated Yamakoshi, turning it into an inaccessible island. The entire village was forced to evacuate. Yet, despite the hardships, Yamakoshi has managed to preserve its cultural heritage and sustain its way of life to this day.
Declining Population and the Birth of Nishikigoi NFT
At the time of the earthquake, Yamakoshi was home to approximately 2,200 residents. However, even after evacuation orders were lifted, many residents chose not to return, and the current population has dwindled to about 770. The region faces a critical challenge in maintaining its cultural traditions amid rapid depopulation and aging demographics. Concerns over the potential disappearance of the community grew increasingly urgent.
In response, Yamakoshi residents established the Yamakoshi Resident Council in 2007, a community-driven organization dedicated to addressing local challenges and spearheading recovery efforts. Through initiatives like producing videos and publications to showcase Yamakoshi’s lifestyle and organizing events to promote its unique products, the region worked to attract new residents. However, these efforts were not enough to reverse the population decline.
Amid this crisis, Yamakoshi adopted an innovative solution: opening its doors to a broader audience. By leveraging NFT technology, the community aimed to build a network of global supporters unconstrained by physical or geographical boundaries. In December 2021, the "Nishikigoi NFT" was launched, marking the birth of "digital villagers."
The History of Yamakoshi
Yamakoshi, located in the mountainous areas of Nagaoka City, is celebrated for its lush natural surroundings and vibrant cultural traditions. The region has long been known for its terraced rice paddies and Japanese cattle farming. It is also famous as the birthplace of Nishikigoi. Despite suffering significant damage from the 2004 Chuetsu Earthquake, the residents’ collective efforts have revitalized the area, preserving its unique charm for future generations.
The Cultures of Yamakoshi
Yamakoshi is renowned as the birthplace of Nishikigoi, often referred to as "swimming jewels." The scenic terraced rice paddies, coupled with hillside ponds known as tanada-ike, are iconic features of the area. Additionally, Yamakoshi is home to "Tsunotsuki," a traditional bullfighting event with a thousand-year history, designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Asset by the Japanese government.
How Neo Yamakoshi Village is Born
On the occasion of minting Nishikigoi NFT and digital villagers, we started to build an energetic community to connect to the future, aiming for deeper cooperation with the local residents. Regardless of status, job position, age, or gender, members from inside and outside Yamakoshi who shared the “idea” gather, share ideas, and talk with each other while continuing to take on challenges — That was how the Yamakoshi DAO was born.
As the number of digital villagers increase, instead of using the term “DAO,” we explore a community in which anyone could participate without having to understand the technology to make the community more familiar and accessible to all.
Out of this came the new concept of Neo Yamakoshi Village. This concept is also a new idea for Yamakoshi, which was developed after the Chuetsu Earthquake, and is the result of rethinking the ideal of Yamakoshi as a community.
Founder of Nishikigoi NFT
Born in Uonuma City, Niigata Prefecture.After the 2004 Chuetsu Earthquake, she worked as a life support counselor at the Yamakoshi Disaster Relief Volunteer Center in temporary housing for residents of the Yamakoshi Village, where the entire village had to evacuate. Since April 2021, he works as a head of the Yamakoshi Residents' Council.
Haruka Takeuchi is currently the head of the Yamakoshi Residents' Council and the founder of Nishikigoi NFT. Originally born and raised in the former village of Hirokami in the city of Uonuma. Haruka studied teaching at university. But, her path was’t easy, and after much trial and error, she decided to return to her hometown of Niigata.
It was the Chuetsu earthquake of 2004 that changed her fate. At the time, she was teaching at a tutoring school and experienced directly the impact of the earthquake. She then decided to quit her job and started working at a volunteer center in Yamakoshi village. Her main role there was to stay close to each villager living in temporary shelters and continue to talk to them so that they would not feel alone.
Since 2007, she has worked tirelessly to rebuild Yamakoshi. Through her efforts, she has built a deep relationship of trust with the villagers and has become a strong part of the community's future. Living in Yamakoshi and working with Yamakoshi, she is a bridge between the history and future of Yamakoshi.
