In September 2024, following the launch of DNP’s new decentralized identity platform, DNP and Meeco hosted an event with the support of AusTrade at the Australian Embassy in Tokyo, Japan.
The event focused on tourism sector use cases, and the guest list included key members of various tourism boards and media representatives from Japan and Australia, including Tourism Australia. The event highlighted how decentralised identity solutions could enhance trade, tourism, and travel experiences for Australians visiting Japan and Japanese travellers visiting Australia.
The event began with a welcome from Justin Hayhurst, the Australian Ambassador to Japan, who emphasised the importance of the Japan-Australia partnership.
“The collaboration between Australia’s innovative startup Meeco and Japan’s major company DNP holds great potential. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all involved in the announcement of this decentralized identity management platform,” said the ambassador, expressing his enthusiasm for promoting the partnership between the two countries.
Following the Ambassador, Katryna Dow, CEO of Meeco, highlighted how the convergence of real and digital worlds that was envisioned over a decade ago has now become reality, though it has brought challenges including personal information leaks and fraud that undermine digital trust.
Dow emphasized the critical importance of this collaboration, noting that EU regulations will require all citizens to have access to secure digital infrastructure by 2027, making this announcement a potential global model. She praised DNP's visionary approach, pointing out that the company had contacted Meeco a decade ago when the Australian firm was newly established, demonstrating remarkable foresight. Dow expressed enthusiasm about the transformative potential of their partnership and its role in strengthening Australia-Japan relations through digital innovation.
"The world we envisioned over a decade ago, where the real and digital worlds merge, has finally come to fruition. However, incidents that shake digital trust, such as personal information leaks and fraud, are also occurring. Now, all our actions are linked to digital IDs, and secure, reliable IDs are indispensable." – Katryna Dow, Meeco CEO & Founder
Enhancing the experience of inbound tourists with decentralized ID
Rintaro Okamoto from DNP provided detailed insights into the company's decentralized identity management platform and upcoming demonstration experiments. The system utilises Verifiable Credentials (VC) technology to create a decentralized digital ID system where individuals can autonomously manage their personal information and selectively share only necessary data within required scopes.
Using DNP's platform, developed together with Meeco, this approach reduces verification burdens for companies while maintaining high security and prevents unauthorized access and data tampering.
To advance practical implementation, DNP established the "Japan-Australia Cross-Border Interoperability Working Group" with participating companies from both countries, initially focusing on tourism applications. This initiative was first showcased at the European Cloud & Identity Conference in Berlin in May 2024.
The DNP platform aims to enhance travel experiences for the growing number of Australian tourists visiting Japan by streamlining identity verification processes, such as eliminating cumbersome hotel check-in procedures through pre-verified personal information. Okamoto outlined broader future applications including medical information management, educational credentials, and financial asset data sharing, with plans to conduct demonstration experiments alongside tourism boards from both nations before expanding to partnerships across various industries.
"Using the decentralized identity management platform makes it easier to verify travelers' identities. For example, by using pre-verified personal information, cumbersome procedures at hotel check-ins can be omitted." – Rintaro Okamoto
Partner Initiatives to Develop the Ecosystem
DNP has announced a significant collaboration with MUFG Bank, one of Japan's largest financial institutions, to commercialise digital IDs—further validating the robust ecosystem forming around this technology.
Takayuki Sada from MUFG Bank, Ltd. also presented at the event commenting that, “By utilizing the credibility granting functions of banks in the field of decentralized IDs, we believe we can ensure reliability in a wider range of services,” and this initiative, as one of the first of its kind for a Japanese bank, Sada confidently said, “In the future, by linking VCs with financial functions such as payment, we think we can provide even greater value to our users.”
Looking Ahead: Building Tomorrow's Digital Infrastructure Today
The Australian Embassy event represents more than just a product launch – it marks a pivotal moment in cross-border digital collaboration. As Sakae Hikita, Executive Vice President of DNP, noted in his closing remarks, "What we have been working on for over 10 years to create 'future standards' is finally becoming a reality."
The enthusiastic response from tourism boards, media representatives, and embassy officials demonstrates a genuine appetite for solutions that can enhance security while simplifying the travel experience. With the EU mandating secure digital infrastructure access for all citizens by 2027, and Japan's government-led consortium targeting concrete frameworks by 2030, the timing couldn't be more strategic.
As we expand these cross-border initiatives and strengthen our ecosystem partnerships, we remain committed to our shared vision: a world where individuals can travel safely and comfortably across borders, empowered by technology that puts privacy and security in their own hands.
For more information about DNP's decentralised identity initiatives, visit DNP's solution page or read their official announcement.
Learn more about our cross-border identity work at Meeco's Cross-Border page.
