[Hotel SDGs] Akihabara Washington Hotel exchanges waste products with “Akiko”

~ “Mottainai Halloween” event where you can get “mottainai things” instead of “sweets” ~

The community currency (electronic community currency) service “Machi no Coin” planned and developed by KAYAC Co., Ltd. will hold an event “Mottainai Halloween” to enjoy “SDGs Halloween”. At the Akihabara Washington Hotel, which participates in this event, unused amenities and second-hand home appliances such as air purifiers used in guest rooms can be exchanged for the town coin "Akiko (Akihabara's currency name)." In addition to reducing waste as a hotel's SDGs initiative, we aim to build new relationships with the community.

• Overview of “Mottainai Market at Akihabara Washington Hotel”

"Akihabara Washington Hotel" (1-8-3 Kanda Sakuma-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) has been participating as a spot since the introduction of "Akiko" in January 2022. About 3.8 tons of waste plastics and metals are discharged from the hotel annually. Among them, cheap plastic amenities in hotels are being discarded every time guests change, so they are attracting attention as an approach to reducing plastic waste. ("Plastic Resource Recycling Promotion Act" will be enforced on April 1, 2022) In addition, from the perspective of hospitality to customers, household appliances and furniture that are difficult to use in guest rooms are also subject to disposal.

In this event, we will focus on such "things that can still be used but must be discarded" and work together with the community on "reuse" to realize a recycling-oriented society. It is an event where anyone can exchange Akihabara's town coin, "Akiko", for "wasteful things" from the hotel. (Those who are not staying at the hotel can also participate.)

<Lineup of wasteful items>
・Unused amenities (body sponges, amenity bottles, cotton swabs, razors, etc.)
・Used chairs and cushions
・Ties that are no longer used due to a change in uniform
・Used appliances such as air purifiers and stand slides used in guest rooms
・Frying pan used for cooking
・Used model train (N gauge) used in “Railway Room “Kuhane 1304'', etc.

<Period> October 29th (Sat)-30th (Sun)

<Location> “Akihabara Washington Hotel” (1-8-3 Kanda Sakuma-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) 3rd floor restaurant “Bonsalute Cafe”

<Comment from Makiko Shiotani, Chief Manager of Planning and Public Relations, Akihabara Washington Hotel> I am very happy that there are people who can use Machi no Coin for items that are still usable but have to be discarded. This time, I hope to be able to realize the SDGs as a company by being able to participate in such projects. We will continue to work hard in the future.

In addition, in Akihabara, we plan to hold a Halloween stamp rally and experiences related to Halloween at GiGO stores. For more information, please visit the Akiko website.
“Akiko” website https://coin.machino.co/regions/akihabara

* The town coin “Akiko” can be earned through experiences such as “50 Akiko after cleaning the cabinet after playing the game (GiGO Akihabara 3rd store)” and activities that contribute to the SDGs.

• Overview of “Mottainai Halloween”

Held in 6 regions nationwide: Akihabara (Tokyo), Ikebukuro (Tokyo), Kamakura (Kanagawa), Chizu (Tottori), Tsubamesanjo (Niigata), and Yame (Fukuoka)*. (*Alphabetical order) While visiting spots in the town, you can get "wasteful things" that are not "sweets" with "town coins". Based on the concept of connecting regions with experiences that are good for the town, people, and the earth, this is an event unique to Machi no Coin, which has contributed to the revitalization of communities, the creation of related populations, and the promotion of the SDGs being personal.

period

October 22nd (Sat) – November 20th (Sun) *Varies by region

content

1. Akihabara – Mottainai Market at Akihabara Washington Hotel etc. 2. Ikebukuro – "Halloween" cosplay cleanup activities, etc. 3. Kamakura – Mottainai Halloween Stamp Rally (exchange pumpkin pudding and "kruppo") etc. 4. Chizu – Halloween Mottainai Stamp Rally Course (exchange surplus vegetables, cram school reference books and “sticks”) etc. 5. Tsubame-Sanjo – Stamp rally to eat autumn sweets, etc. 6. Yame ー Tsunagaru Kodomo Book in Tsunagaru Bus Stop etc.

• Details of implementation in each region

1. Akihabara (town coin "Akiko")
Mottainai Market at Akihabara Washington Hotel
Period: October 29th (Sat) – 30th (Sun)
In addition, we plan to hold a Halloween stamp rally and experiences related to Halloween at GiGO stores. For more information, please visit the Akiko website.
“Akiko” website https://coin.machino.co/regions/akihabara

2. Ikebukuro (town coin "Ikeko")
“Halloween” Cosplay Cleanup Activities

You can get 500 Ikeko by wearing a costume that is perfect for Halloween, cleaning the town happily, and participating. While interacting with local people and participants, it can be an opportunity to think about "garbage problem" and "town development".
Period: Saturday, October 29th
In addition, a campaign to receive an Amazon gift certificate by following and retweeting “Ikeko” on Twitter is also planned. (October 24th-October 30th) See the "Ikeko" website for details.
“Ikeko” website https://coin.machino.co/regions/ikebukuro

3. Kamakura (town coin “Kruppo”)
Mottainai Halloween Stamp Rally
During the period, we will hold a Halloween limited stamp rally that can be achieved by visiting multiple spots and checking in. At LINOPOT de PICNIC, a toasted sandwich specialty store that uses homemade bread (1-15-13 Hase, Kamakura-shi, Kanagawa), after 4:00 in the evening, you can get leftover pumpkin pudding from Kruppo.
Period: Saturday, October 22nd to Sunday, November 20th

For more information, visit the Kruppo website.
“Kruppo” website https://coin.machino.co/regions/kamakura

4 Chizu (town coin "Tego")
Mottainaimono stamp rally
During the period, a Halloween limited stamp rally course will be held. At "Hair Salon Osaka" (2604-56 Oaza Chizu, Chizu-cho, Yazu-gun, Tottori), you can cosplay in a kimono that you can easily wear over your clothes. In addition, you can receive reference books that are no longer used at the cram school "Learning and Career Education Support Organization Hisho" (1507-5 Chizu, Chizu-cho).
Period: Saturday, October 22nd to Sunday, November 20th

For more information, visit the Tego website.
“Tego” website https://coin.machino.co/regions/chizu

5 Tsubamesanjo (town coin "Metaru")
Autumn sweets eating while walking stamp rally
During the period, sweets shops in the town participate and hold a stamp rally where you can get "metal" when you eat the specialty sweets of each store. It will be connected to the excursion of the town.
Period: Saturday, October 29th to Sunday, November 20th
For more information, visit the "Metaru" website.
“Metaru” website https://coin.machino.co/regions/tsubamesanjo

6 Yame (town coin “Roman”)
Connected Children's Book in Connected Bus Stop
At the popular spot "Tsunagaru Bus Stop" (379-1 Honmura, Yame City, Fukuoka Prefecture), a picture book that is no longer read at the "Tsunagaru Bus Stop" will be held during the "Reading Week" held in Yame City during the period. We are looking for donations of books and children's literature. Donors will be given 300 romances and asked to write episodes and memories related to the book on a “connecting bookmark”.
Period: October 27th (Thursday) to November 9th (Wednesday)

For more information, visit the "Roman" website.
“Roman” website https://coin.machino.co/regions/yame

• “Mottainai Halloween” background and purpose

1. Growing awareness of SDGs -Halloween is not an event for spending, consumption, or a large number of people
It is expected that more people will go out for Halloween this year, the first time since COVID-19 that there will be no restrictions on going out. (*1) In addition, spending for Halloween, such as costumes, decorations, and food (including sweets), is expected to increase. (*2) It is true that there are a certain number of people who do not have a good impression of Halloween, especially since the problem of garbage, especially in urban areas, was attracting attention before COVID-19. (*1)
KAYAC wanted to make Halloween an opportunity to think about mass disposal, food loss, and garbage issues, precisely because it is an event that tends to be consumed in large quantities. The reason why “Mottainai Halloween” will be held even after Halloween on October 31st is that we want to approach the social issue of generating a lot of waste every time such a seasonal event ends. is.
On Halloween, there is a custom that originated in the ancient Celts, in which children go from house to house asking for sweets while saying "trick or treat". In "Mottainai Halloween", with the slogan "Trick or Mottainai", you can visit local spots in a game-like way and receive wasteful things from various places. If you check the "Town Coin" at each spot, you can see which SDGs goal the coin acquisition and use are aiming to achieve, so you can check the goals you have contributed to on the spot. As SDGs awareness grows year by year, both adults and children can feel the familiar SDGs while feeling the circulation of "things".

*1 Hot Pepper Gourmet Restaurant Research Institute Questionnaire on intention to participate in “Halloween”, pros and cons , etc.
*2 Rakuten Insight, Inc. Research on Halloween https://insight.rakuten.co.jp/report/20211014/

2. Revitalization of Local Communities – A Happy Halloween for Adults and Children alike
The “mottainai Halloween” spot is a familiar spot in the town where children can easily participate. To the staff at the store and the staff at the hotel, be a little courageous and exchange your "mottainai" for coins through communication. We hope that this event will serve as an opportunity to connect with the local community. While traveling around the area, you can enjoy Halloween with a small number of people and families due to the corona sickness.

Reference material
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How to use and features of the community currency service “Machi no Coin”

"Machi no Coin" is a community currency (electronic community currency) service that connects regions with experiences that are good for people, towns, and the earth. By using this currency, we can expect to create connections between people inside and outside the region and form a good local community. "Machi no Coin" has been used in 22 regions (* 3) so far since it was adopted by Kanagawa Prefecture's "SDGs Connection Point Project" in September 2019.
Headquartered in Kamakura, our company spreads the idea of "Kamakura capitalism", which regards the unique charm of the region as capital. “Machi no Coin” is a community currency for making friends that promotes connections with the local community, which is “local social capital”. By connecting people with each other, we aim to love the area more and contribute to solving social issues and revitalizing the local economy.
*3 As of October 2022, Odawara City, Kamakura City, Atsugi City, Hiyoshi Area, Kanagawa Prefecture, Tama Plaza District, Shimokitazawa Area, Tokyo Prefecture, Akihabara Area, Ikebukuro Area, Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture, Yao City, Osaka Prefecture, Tadotsu, Kagawa Prefecture Kochi City in Kochi Prefecture, Shinjo Village in Okayama Prefecture, Chizu Town in Tottori Prefecture, Yame City and Tagawa City in Fukuoka Prefecture, Ishigaki City in Okinawa Prefecture, Tsubamesanjo area in Niigata Prefecture, Shiga Prefecture, and Tango area in Kyoto Prefecture. The Otsuka area in Tokyo and Saku City in Nagano Prefecture have ended.

【structure】
Users can download the "Machi no Coin" app and use the QR code to earn and use points. Users earn points when they participate in community activities, etc., and the points they earn can be used at affiliated stores, etc.
*Cannot be converted into yen. There is a time limit that can be used depending on the region.

[Features]

1. Experience design that matches the individuality and issues of the town
Declining birthrate and aging population, protection of the natural environment, promotion of immigration-related population, creation of bustle in the town, etc. You can think of and set experience tickets to earn and use coins according to the individuality and issues of the town. For example, in a town that wants to protect the marine environment, it offers a “beach cleanup experience”.

2. Connecting people inside and outside the region and contributing to the creation of related populations
It is also available for people outside the area. People inside and outside the area participate in community activities together, and people outside the area use local shops, which leads to the creation of related populations.

3. Promoting personalization of SDGs in a game-like manner
Bonus points are awarded based on the frequency of participation, and the more points you earn, the higher your level, creating opportunities to naturally participate in community activities while having fun like a game. By looking at the "activity history" of the town coin later, you can look back on which SDGs goals your actions are connected to, and you can also connect with yourself in the SDGs.

4. Revitalization of economic activity
"Machi no Coin" is a service that users visit and spend at "spots" such as local shops. Through "pleasant experiences that cannot be bought with money", the distance between store owners and users is shortened, leading to regular customers and fans. I can do it.

5. Sustainable system
Since it is an electronic currency in the IT era and smartphone era, it can be operated at a relatively low cost compared to traditional paper local currencies. In addition, since there is no convertibility to legal currency, no capital is required. Coins have a set expiration date, and if they are not used for a certain period of time, they will be collected and redistributed in the city for circulation.

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Overview of KAYAC Co., Ltd.
With strengths such as creativity, planning ability, and technical ability to shape things that are not bound by fixed concepts, we will create new products that combine the latest technologies and ideas, such as game applications, advertisements, and website production, as well as community currency, immigration, and related population promotion. We provide the user with an experience. 90% of our employees are creators such as designers and programmers, and we have a unique personnel system and management that makes use of diversity with the management philosophy of "increasing the number of creators."

Established: January 21, 2005
Representatives: Representative Director Daisuke Yanagisawa Masanori Kaihata Tomoki Kuba
Location: 11-8 Onarimachi, Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Business description: Japanese fun content business
URL: https://www.kayac.com/
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