Startbahn, Inc. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Taihei Shii; hereinafter “Startbahn”) will provide its “FUN FAN NFT” service at the Tokyo National Museum event “Ueno de Meguru, Inishie no Omokage: Horyu-ji Treasure Hall,” supporting the NFT-powered digital experience from a technical standpoint.

In this initiative, the appeal of the National Treasure “Gigaku Masks (Gigakumen)”—created between the Asuka and Nara periods and housed in the Tokyo National Museum collection—will be expanded into digital content linked to the on-site visitor experience, with the aim of creating a new appreciation experience that combines cultural properties and digital technology.

■ National Treasure “Gigaku Masks” and Background of This Initiative

Gigaku is a masked drama introduced to Japan from the Asian continent in the early 7th century. The Gigaku masks used in these performances are considered to be among the origins of theatrical masks in Japan. Gigaku was widely performed at temples during the Nara period but later declined, and today the details of its repertoire are largely unknown.

The 31 Gigaku masks in the Tokyo National Museum collection were transmitted from Horyu-ji Temple in Nara, associated with Prince Shotoku, and form an extremely valuable group of works that includes some of the oldest surviving examples. In recent years, they were collectively designated as National Treasures due to their historical significance and high artistic quality.

This initiative connects the appeal of these ancient masks with modern digital technology, creating an experience that allows visitors to feel closer to cultural properties.

In addition, this initiative is being carried out as part of a new appreciation experience that fuses cultural properties with NFT technology, promoted by the Tokyo National Museum and TOSE Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture; President and COO: Yasuhito Watanabe), following on from efforts conducted during the New Year’s program in January 2024.

【Event Overview】

Ueno de Meguru, Inishie no Omokage: Horyu-ji Treasure Hall

Dates: February 3, 2026 (Tue) – March 1, 2026 (Sun)
Venue: Horyu-ji Treasure Hall, Tokyo National Museum
Hours: 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

• Open until 8:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and on Sunday, February 22

• Only the Gigaku mask gallery in the Horyu-ji Treasure Hall is open to the public on Fridays and Saturdays
  Closed: Mondays, and February 24 (Tue)

• However, the museum will be open on Monday, February 23 (national holiday)
  Admission: Tokyo National Museum Collection Exhibition (General Collection) ticket required
  Adults: ¥1,000 / University students: ¥500

• Free for high school students and younger, those under 18, and those aged 70 and over

■ Tokyo National Museum

Opened in Meiji 5 (1872), the Tokyo National Museum is Japan’s oldest museum. It houses more than 120,000 objects, including 90 National Treasures, as well as numerous cultural properties entrusted to the museum. The collective name for the museum’s permanent exhibitions—displayed across five exhibition facilities (the Honkan, Toyokan, Heiseikan, Horyu-ji Treasure Hall, and Kuroda Memorial Hall)—is the “TNM Collection Exhibition.” The Horyu-ji Treasure Hall houses approximately 300 treasures donated from Horyu-ji Temple to the Imperial Household in Meiji 11 (1878) and transferred to the state after World War II. The Horyu-ji donated treasures are known as a premier collection of ancient art, comparable to the Shosoin treasures.

Official website: https://www.tnm.jp/

■ Fusion of Cultural Properties and Digital Technology (On-site Linked Digital Initiative)

In this initiative, NFTs linked to exhibition viewing are distributed, providing a mechanism that records and extends the on-site visit experience into the digital realm. Visitors can obtain a digital content NFT themed on the National Treasure “Gigaku Masks” by scanning QR codes installed at designated points within the Horyu-ji Treasure Hall.

The NFT content provides not only image data of the National Treasure “Gigaku Masks,” but also explanatory information that deepens appreciation and understanding. This enables visitors to look back on and share their experience. By linking the cultural property information and research accumulated by the Tokyo National Museum with the visitor experience, this initiative aims to promote greater understanding of cultural properties and contribute to their transmission to future generations.

■ Startbahn’s Role

In this initiative, Startbahn is responsible for providing the NFT issuance infrastructure and designing the acquisition experience. Visitors can obtain digital content intuitively via QR codes without requiring specialized knowledge of blockchains or wallets.

As a result, the real on-site appreciation experience at the museum is also recorded digitally, helping to create ongoing points of connection between visitors and cultural institutions.

■ About Startbahn, Inc.

Startbahn aims to realize a richer society by providing technologies needed by people involved in art and culture worldwide. The company develops the blockchain infrastructure “Startrail,” which supports authenticity assurance and value succession for artworks; the IC chip “Startrail TAG,” which links physical artworks to the blockchain; the management dashboard “Startrail Port”; and “Startrail API,” which enables customized use of Startrail.

Official website: https://startbahn.io

■ About Startrail

Startrail is a blockchain infrastructure for art led by Startbahn. It aims to support the reliability and authenticity of artworks and their long-term value succession. NFTs issued on Startrail can record not only information about the issuing operator but also a wide range of data related to an artwork’s value, such as exhibitions, transactions, conservation, and authentication. Due to the nature of blockchain, this information cannot be deleted, altered, or duplicated.

Official website: https://startbahn.io/startrail

■ About “FUN FAN NFT”

FUN FAN NFT is an NFT marketing solution that connects the real and digital worlds via QR codes. Users can obtain NFTs simply by scanning a QR code, without going through the complex steps typically associated with NFTs. It supports initiatives in cultural institutions and events that link the on-site experience with digital records.

Official website: https://funfan-nft.com/lp

■ Inquiries Regarding This News

Startbahn, Inc.
Public Relations
pr@startbahn.jp