Tokyo has joined other global cities with its own city top-level domain name, .tokyo, following several years developing a tool it hopes will propel the metropolis to new heights in global communications ahead of the 2020 Olympic Games. The capital follows Japan’s first city domain, .nagoya for the City of Nagoya launched in February, and will be accompanied by .yokohama for neighbouring Yokohama later this year.
At this month’s launch event for .tokyo at the Park Hyatt hotel in Shinjuku, Governor Masuzoe spoke of his ambitions for the new city domain name to promote the Japanese capital to the world: “I want to make Tokyo the world’s best city… Tokyo has always been in fourth” place behind London, New York and Paris, Masuzoe said, referring to the Mori Memorial Foundation’s Global Power City Index. “In the challenge to become the No. 1 city, I hope that ‘.tokyo’ will be a great tool for promoting Tokyo to the world,” the governor said.
As well as being the the capital of Japan and one of the world’s largest urban populations, Tokyo is known as a hub for innovation in technology, luxury shopping, and world-class cuisine. According to the World Cities Culture Report, from kabuki to anime, the city is a hub for both traditional and modern Japanese arts, it is home to the largest number of cultural assets in Japan, and has the most Michelin star restaurants of any city in the world.
The official registry for .tokyo domain, GMO Registry said:
“.tokyo is a domain that will represent and promote the city of Tokyo; it will provide a platform to effectively deliver city information to Internet users both locally and globally. For the first time, citizens, businesses and community groups in Tokyo will be able to choose a domain that directly links their online identity to the city. No local address is required to register a domain name. .tokyo is available to any business or individual who wants to link their online identity to Japan’s largest city. This is in line with the core aim of the top-level domain (TLD) to promote Tokyo as a city through broad participation and recognition.
“Almost 70 new geoTLDs are set to go online over the next few years. These government-backed TLDs represent an opportunity for businesses to connect with local markets in a space recognized and trusted by local consumers. As one of the world’s largest cities, .tokyo is expected to be one of the most in-demand TLDs in this new arena. Further, as the host city for the 2020 Olympic Games, Tokyo is now in the global spotlight, and is expected to have broader appeal for both business and personal use.”
In November 2011, the company won official support from Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) after presenting a vision for .tokyo as a domain that would make a valuable contribution to the community and economy of Tokyo, and build the city’s online brand both locally and globally. GMO Registry then submitted an application to the Internet Corporation of Names and Numbers (ICANN) and after successfully moving through the evaluation process, signed an agreement with ICANN to operate the new GeoTLD, .tokyo on November 11, 2013. GMO Registry launched Japan’s first GeoTLD, .nagoya for the City of Nagoya on February 20, and will launch .yokohama for the City of Yokohama later this year.
City TLDs are emerging as the latest tool for city governments to compete globally, but their development has been driven by cooperation with each other. Berlin and Vienna’s having already launched, London’s will follow later this month. JLGC was involved from the earliest stages of .tokyo by actively researching the development of other city TLDs in Europe, commissioned by TMG.
.tokyo Launch Phases
Sunrise Phase: Priority registration phase for trademark holders
Date: April 7, 2014 12:00pm (JST) – June 6, 2014 23:59 (JST)
Land Rush Phase: Advance registration (open eligibility)
Date: June 9, 2014 12:00pm (JST) – July 18, 2014 23:59 (JST)
General Availability: Open first-come-first-served registration
Date: From July 22, 2014 12:00pm (JST)
