Digital artworks are being sold to help organize a summer festival in a town on the Noto Peninsula, six months after it was hit by a powerful earthquake on New Year’s Day.
The community festival, known as “Abare Matsuri,” has been held every summer for several centuries in the Ushitsu district in the town of Noto.
The two-day event is scheduled to take place on Friday and Saturday. A local construction company that has built floats for the festival for many years suffered damage in the earthquake.
All Nippon Airways set up the fund-raising campaign in cooperation with the calligraphy club at Noto High School. The airline operates regular flights between Noto and Tokyo.
A number of works of calligraphy featuring the kanji for “hope” and “reconstruction” are being sold in digital formats. Their authenticity is backed by digital certificates known as NFTs, or non-fungible tokens.
Each of the works is being offered for 5,000 yen, or around 31 dollars. Sales are expected to continue until November 30, and the proceeds will also be used to help the town’s reconstruction.
Officials at All Nippon Airways say they will be happy if the campaign can help the town to continue holding the community festival despite the natural disaster.