Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (MUFG)
MUFG Bank, Ltd.
Kansai Innovation Center

Innovation Center Naming and Launch of Inaugural Remote
Tourism Platform Program
Tokyo, December 11, 2020 --- Kansai Innovation Center, a foundation established andoperated by Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (“MUFG”) and MUFG Bank, Ltd. (“theBank”) today announced the name of their membership-based innovation center (“thefacility”), MUIC Kansai, which is scheduled to open in February 2021. Also announced
were the Remote Tourism Platform, the first project in the facility’s problem-solving
program, as well as experiments to determine its business feasibility.
1. Facility Name
The facility was named “MUIC Kansai” based on its objective to be a center to promote
open innovation among members in the tourism industry. It aims to contribute to therevitalization of the Kansai regional economy and the success of the Osaka-Kansai
Japan Expo 2025.
The facility’s logo, which features braiding and stitching imagery, expresses the concept
of “a new combination of tourism and technologies” which will be created from meetingsand connections among members from various backgrounds.
Facility Logo

2. Initial Problem-Solving Program: Remote Tourism Platform
Program and Experiment Overview
Program
A platform that connects tourists and tour guides while providing
Overview
real-time remote tour experiences utilizing web-based videocommunication systems (Remote Tourism Service, “the service”).
Experiment Phase 1:
Provide remote tour services in 8 tourist areas ofOverview
November 21 to the Kansai region for approx. 300 MUFG Bank andDecember 15,
Bank of Ayudhya PCL employees with the goal of2020
establishing basic operations and formulating aservice outline.
1Phase 2:February toMarch, 2021
(Tentative)

DeviceBased on the results of the phase 1 experiment,functions necessary for the service, such as areservation system, will be added, the operation
area expanded, the range of participantsbroadened (including employees of the facility’s
prospective member companies) and a businessmodel created towards monetization.
THINKLET® wearable device with neck-mounted
camera and microphone by Fairy Devices Inc.

Background and Objective
MUIC Kansai is an innovation center that aims to contribute to the revitalization of theKansai economy by solving tourism industry issues through its Problem-Solving
Program, which promotes innovation and growth support for startups participating in
the program. The tourism industry has been seriously impacted by a sharp drop in
demand caused by the spread of COVID-19. In light of this situation, we launched thisprogram prior to the facility’s opening in February of next year.
This program aims to maintain the foundation of the tourism industry by constructing
remote tourism infrastructure using digital technology to create opportunities forproviding services to tourist destinations and tour guides that are struggling due to thedownturn in the tourism industry, even with COVID-19 travel limitations still in place.
Furthermore, the economic damage caused by the sharp decrease in inboundtourism demand, which had been considered a growth industry, is becoming evenmore serious. By providing a remote tourism platform, we plan to create opportunities
for interpreters and tour guides to play active roles in the tourism industry while also
training guides capable of providing this service for the Osaka-Kansai Japan Expo2025.
This service infrastructure, including the equipment and interface, were developed incooperation with Fairy Devices Inc., a member of facility partner Mitou Foundation’s
influential startup network. Prospective member companies and partnerorganizations worked together with the Kansai Innovation Center in collaborating withvarious tourism sites and guide communities. This cooperation between partnerorganizations and member companies enabled Kansai Innovation Center to rapidly
and efficiently begin feasibility experiments pertaining to this new service.

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We will create a new model for innovation to solve social issues in the tourism
industry through speedy commercialization, cooperating with promising start-up
companies, large corporations and other members with ambitions to help resolve
tourism industry issues. We believe that these activities will contribute to the recovery
and growth of the tourism industry and the revitalization of the Kansai economy.
- End About MUFG
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (MUFG) is one of the world’s leading financialgroups. Headquartered in Tokyo and with over 360 years of history, MUFG has a global
network with around 2,600 locations in more than 50 countries. The Group has over
180,000 employees and offers services including commercial banking, trust banking,securities, credit cards, consumer finance, asset management, and leasing. The Groupaims to “be the world’s most trusted financial group” through close collaboration among
our operating companies and flexibly respond to all of the financial needs of ourcustomers, serving society, and fostering shared and sustainable growth for a betterworld. MUFG’s shares trade on the Tokyo, Nagoya, and New York stock exchanges.
For more information, visit https://www.mufg.jp/english.
Press contact:
Takuya Urata
Public Relations Division
Osaka/Main Office
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc.
T +81-6-6229-3520
E takuya_urata@mufg.jp

3Appendix
Foundation Overview
NameChairman
Location
WebsiteKansai Innovation Center
Hiroshi Murakami
3-6-3 Fushimimachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka, Japan
https://www.muic-kansai.jp/

Problem-Solving Program

Remote Tourism Service Outline

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Overview of Fairy Devices and THINKLET®
Name
Fairy Devices Inc.
Date of Establishment April, 2007
CEOMasato Fujino
Location
Tokyo, Japan
Main Business
Providing connected-worker solutions including
wearables, edge AI and an audio cloud platform
Websitehttps://fairydevices.jp/

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