A Challenge to Inspire Action in People a Thousand Years from Now
TAKUROMAN Debuts His First NFT Collection "The Millennium Play" at #CAF2022
July 12, 2022
Reading Time: 6 minutes

TAKUROMAN unveiled his first-ever collection, "千年の戯れ (The Millennium Play by TAKUROMAN)," at the metaverse space of Crypto Art Fes 2022 (#CAF2022), held from July 11 to 17, 2022.
Collection URL:
https://opensea.io/collection/themillenniumplay

■ Background of the Collection Concept
Thanks to blockchain technology, information can now be preserved for future generations without the risk of tampering by third parties. TAKUROMAN took this a step further by creating a collection themed around:
\"Encouraging intentional actions by people a thousand years into the future.\"

■ Overview of the Collection
This collection consists of four artworks and two instruction sheets. The basic idea is that each of the four NFT artworks is owned by a different person, and these NFTs are passed from person to person until July 11, 3022 — exactly 1,000 years later. Each NFT contains locked content visible only to its holder. On July 11, 3022 (Japan Standard Time), the four holders will reveal their locked content to each other, unlocking special content together. If this action is carried out as intended a thousand years from now, the collection’s purpose will be fulfilled.

■ How to Play "The Millennium Play" (Rules)
If even one of the four NFTs is burned during the 1,000-year period, or if a holder loses access to their wallet while still owning the NFT, the locked content will become incomplete, removing the motivation to continue, and the chain will likely break. Similarly, if one person monopolizes all four NFTs and views all locked content alone, the enjoyment and motivation to continue will diminish, making continuation difficult. To prevent these scenarios, the following rules have been established:

- Of the four NFTs in the collection, a single person may only hold one NFT during their lifetime. - While alive and able to operate their wallet, holders must sell or transfer their NFT to someone else. - NFTs must never be burned. - The contents of the locked content must never be revealed to anyone before July 11, 3022 (Japan Standard Time). - On July 11, 3022, holders of the NFTs must share the contents of their locked content with each other.

By following these rules and passing on the NFTs, the collection aims to ultimately inspire action in people a thousand years from now.

■ Concept of "The Millennium Play"
To motivate people to take action, some form of incentive is necessary. Monetary reward is one such incentive. If people find value in this collection and the price continues to rise, profits from buying and selling could serve as financial motivation, encouraging continuous transfer from person to person. The initial sale price was set at 0.1 ETH (approximately 16,500 yen at the time). Assuming a 1% annual price increase compounded over 1,000 years, the price could theoretically grow about 20,000 times to approximately 2,096 ETH (about 345,809,568 yen). Intermediate holders could earn some profit through trading. However, if the price falls at any point, motivation could be lost instantly.

For this collection to endure over a millennium, it depends on whether people feel a romantic connection to the idea of \"inspiring action in people a thousand years from now\" and can enjoy the process itself. About 800 years ago, near the end of Japan’s Heian period, the \"Ryōjin Hishō\" anthology compiled by Emperor Go-Shirakawa included a poem asking whether people are born to play. Play is surely one of life’s greatest purposes and sources of energy. The fact that people 800 years ago felt this way, and that I, living today, can relate, suggests that people far in the future might feel the same.

Recently, the utility of NFTs has been a topic of discussion. I myself have realized that, caught up in daily work, I neglect truly important \"play time.\" If a seemingly non-utilitarian \"play NFT\" can inspire action in people a thousand years from now, then humanity might find greater value in play. This belief inspired the creation of this collection.

■ About the Four Artworks
Since the theme is play, each of the four artworks reflects memories of games and fun I genuinely enjoyed as a child. Each piece was initially priced at 0.1 ETH. For detailed descriptions, please see the description on each artwork’s page.

<All 4 Works>

  • METAVERSE BEGINS
  • AGONY POKO-PEN
  • FREEDOM-FLOPS
  • CHASE THE BALL!

■ Instruction Sheets
The two images below are the Japanese and English versions of the instruction sheets explaining how to play and the concept. They are linked directly from the descriptions of the four NFTs. These are included in the collection but are not for sale.

  • Rules and Concept (Japanese)
  • HOW TO PLAY "THE MILLENNIUM PLAY BY TAKUROMAN" (English)

■ Alignment with Crypto Art Fes 2022 Theme
Crypto Art Fes 2022 (#CAF2022), held from July 11 to 17, 2022, is one of Japan’s largest crypto art festivals. TAKUROMAN was selected as one of 100 featured artists and debuted this first collection in the metaverse venue. The event’s overarching theme was \"Exploring the next steps for crypto and crypto art.\" Inspired by this, TAKUROMAN contemplated \"What unique art expressions arise from blockchain technology and philosophy?\" and conceived this collection.

The essence of blockchain lies in its decentralized network. The reason for having four separate NFTs was to distribute holders among multiple people. Even if only one holder actively engages and enjoys the art, they can influence others, creating mutual interaction and sustaining the chain.

Initially, there was an idea to use programming to change the NFT images and display messages 1,000 years later to prompt holders to act. However, guaranteeing program functionality for a millennium is unrealistic. Instead, this collection is based on the idea that \"because it’s play, it can continue.\" Trusting the theoretical permanence of blockchain, the focus is on passing the messages embedded in the four NFTs by human hands into the future. This led to a simple, analog system designed to remain stable over 1,000 years without relying on complex systems.

☆ For more details about CAF2022, please visit:
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000011.000059502.html

☆ Link to CAF2022 Metaverse (TAKUROMAN Booth No.: D-9):
https://conata.world/caf/space

■ In Closing
Thank you for reading this far. This collection is TAKUROMAN’s first attempt to use blockchain technology to create a romantic play that connects people across time to those living far in the future. I hope you will take a look.

Collection \"The Millennium Play by TAKUROMAN\"
👉 https://opensea.io/collection/themillenniumplay

■ Contact for This Article
TAKUROMAN Inquiry Form:
https://www.takuroman.com/contact