Hi there, this is Yutaro from Astart Foundation.
Today, I interviewed Mr. Sato from Casio Computer Co., Ltd., VIRTUAL G-SHOCK team, about the recent advancements in the Web3 industry, specifically NFTs. I'd like to explore how Casio has utilized NFT technology within its services and discuss the company's future plans involving Web3 technologies.
Yutaro: First, I'd like to ask, why did you decide to join Yoki Origins and what are the background stories of the CASIO watches NFT?
Sato: It was 2023 when CASIO joined the Web3 field with VIRTUAL G-SHOCK. Virtual G-SHOCK is a new initiative that started on Casio's 40th anniversary to expand its G-SHOCK brand. We've always been interested in doing more in Web3 after the Virtual G-SHOCK NFT, and that was when the Polygon Labs team reached out to us about Yoki Origins. This year, we are celebrating the 50th anniversary and decided to take another step forward with the VIRTUAL G-SHOCK brand by joining Yoki Origins. We believe that as a non-Web3 company, we can be a gateway for a lot of people to enter Web3 and enjoy NFTs. As Yoki Origins supports credit card payments, we saw a great synergy between CASIO's vision of being the bridge between Web2 and Web3 with the Web2-friendly user experience on Yoki Origins.
Yutaro: How did the collaboration with existing CASIO products lead to CASIO watches NFT?
Sato: Initially, our plan was to sell pictures of CASIO watches as NFTs. However, we aimed to extend our reach beyond existing CASIO fans to include those who hadn't engaged with CASIO watches before. That's when we conceived the idea to collaborate with various artists to create art NFTs featuring CASIO watch designs.
Yutaro: How did you collaborate with the artists?
Sato: We respected the unique styles of each artist and selected watch types that complemented their artistic vision. This process was truly exciting, and we remain grateful to the artists with whom we collaborated. The feedback from CASIO members was fantastic, as this initiative represented a completely new approach to collaboration with CASIO Watches. We are incredibly excited to share this with all NFT holders.
Yutaro: How did you input to the artists?
Sato: We provided pictures of the watches along with explanations of their characteristics in sentences. Interestingly, some artists recalled their old CASIO watches they used to wear while working on the pieces. Yutaro: I would also like to ask about the decision to open the application process to artists publicly. Sato: We opened the collaboration application to the public to make the CASIO WATCHES NFT project more inclusive, aligning with the key idea of VIRTUAL G-SHOCK, which is "Work on Something New with Everyone."
Yutaro: Why did you decide to work with Astar Network?
Sato: I heard that one of the goals of Yoki Origins is to provide the chance to open up blockchain technology to the masses. Simultaneously, we wanted to explore Web3 business opportunities with VIRTUAL G-SHOCK and thought that Yoki Origins would be a perfect opportunity for this. We believe that this can serve as a good opportunity to onboard existing CASIO fans to Web3, and Astar Network will provide exposure to the community. Additionally, I thought that Japanese enterprise and Astar Network have good synergy, considering it is a public blockchain active in the global field but also has roots in Japan. We were motivated to work together with Astar since CASIO also aspires to become a globally recognized Web3 initiative from Japan.
Yutaro: Tell us more about what kind of challenges in Web3, CASIO would like to take on in the future.
Sato: At its core, CASIO's management philosophy is to continue realizing "Creation and Contribution". In other words, it is to contribute to society by providing innovative services that have never existed before. In the area of Web3, in particular, we believe that CASIO, which has focused on manufacturing, will be able to create new synergies by partnering with Web3 in the digital domain. In terms of the CASIO brand, we would like to decentralize various rights, creativity, and brand culture to users and create a new fan community. Regarding the watch business, we aim to pioneer a new culture of enjoying watches in games, animations, and avatar fashions. We would like to create new possibilities for brands and watches by combining blockchain technology.
About Yoki Origins
Yoki Origins is a journey to discover original Yoki characters inspired by supernatural creatures from Japan called Yokai. Astar invites you to collect and upgrade your Yoki while engaging talented artists, world-leading innovators, and web3 builders who have joined Astar zkEVM.
