First municipal partnership for cultural asset preservation and utilization through real-world asset tokenization
Tokyo, Japan – October 2025 – Collection Bank Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Takatoshi Oshiro) has entered into a business partnership with ZoomART Foundation (Headquarters: Republic of Panama; Representative: Julia Martinez) to manage real-world assets (RWAs) that are tokenized under the ZoomART Project. The initiative aims to create a new market that leverages RWA technology to preserve and revitalize cultural assets.
As the first municipal partnership for cultural asset preservation and utilization, ZoomART and Collection Bank have launched a demonstration project with Shinjo-son (Maniwa District, Okayama Prefecture; Mayor: Hirotoshi Ogura) to tokenize the historic building “Kishiro-tei.”
This marks the first local government collaboration for Collection Bank and aims to establish a new circular model for the management and revitalization of regional cultural heritage.
Background and Purpose of the Demonstration Project
Shinjo-son, located in northern Okayama Prefecture, is one of Japan’s smallest municipalities, with a population of around 800 residents. Despite its size, the village has long preserved its rich natural environment and historical culture.
The project will explore a new preservation and funding model by tokenizing the village-owned historical property “Kishiro-tei” as an RWA.
Through this initiative, cultural assets will be redefined from “objects to be stored” into “circulating capital,” creating an integrated framework that supports local government finances, cultural preservation, and tourism promotion.
Partnership with Shinjo-son, Okayama
This initiative is being implemented as part of Shinjo-son’s regional revitalization plan, “Connecting Local Value to the Future.”
It represents a public-private partnership (PPP) model linking cultural heritage to sustainable community development.
Collection Bank contributes its proprietary expertise in secure storage, asset evaluation, and transparency technology to support the quantitative assessment and management of cultural value.
Future Developments
Insights from this pilot project will be used to expand partnerships with other municipalities, cultural organizations, and educational institutions, with the goal of establishing a nationwide model for sustainable cultural asset circulation.
Shinjo-son, Okayama Prefecture
Location: 2008-1 Shinjo-son, Maniwa District, Okayama 717-0201
Mayor: Hirotoshi Ogura
Website: http://www.vill.shinjo.okayama.jp/
Collection Bank Inc.
Former name: between the arts Inc.
Founded: January 14, 2020
Capital: JPY 822.8 million (including capital reserve)
CEO: Takatoshi Oshiro
Address: 5-10-10 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 6F
Business Activities:
- Planning, development, and operation of “Collection Bank”
- Operation of art asset management service “COLLET”
- Operation of subscription-based art storage service “Bijutsu Soko” Website: https://collection-bank.ai Instagram: @collection_bank_
ZoomART Foundation
Founded: May 4, 2023
Representative: Julia Martinez
Address: 17th Floor, P.H. Plaza 2000, 50th Street, Panama City, Republic of Panama
Overview:
ZoomART is an RWA (Real World Asset) project that issues tokens backed by collections—primarily fine art. By partnering with art storage facilities across Asia, ZoomART enables the NFT and tokenization of long-term collection assets.
Issued tokens are operated across the entire ecosystem—including art vaults and partner institutions—with the goal of enhancing the long-term value of the underlying collections.
Website: https://zoomart.io