Kobe Beef Authorized Store Proves Authenticity with NFC and Blockchain Technology

Key Points of This Article

• Store name, registration number, and expiration date displayed without an app
• Immediate reflection upon expiration, including overseas stores in the US, Europe, and Asia

Digitalization of Kobe Beef Authorized Store Certification

On the 4th, SBI Traceability announced that its traceability service "SHIMENAWA" has been adopted for the certification management of Kobe Beef authorized stores by the Kobe Meat Distribution Promotion Council. The council will attach NFC tags to the bronze statues and pop displays lent to authorized stores both domestically and internationally, recording store information and certification details on the blockchain.

Consumers can simply hold their smartphones near the tag to verify the name of the authorized store, registration number, and expiration date. No dedicated app is required, as the information is displayed in a browser. The council will centrally manage the certification status, expiration dates, and installation status through the management system. When updates or expirations occur, the certification status can be switched immediately, ensuring that the information visible to consumers is always up to date.

NFC is a wireless standard that communicates over a distance of a few centimeters, similar to transportation IC cards and mobile payments. Blockchain is a technology that shares and manages change histories in a tamper-resistant manner, known as the foundational technology for cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. This time, the two have been combined to link physical proof at the store with electronic certification information.

Bronze Statues Used Even After Expiration

The Kobe Meat Distribution Promotion Council was established to clarify the definition of Kobe Beef and protect its quality and brand value. It designates and registers retailers and producers handling Kobe Beef, lending bronze statues as proof of authorized dealers. The certified stores are not limited to Japan but also include restaurants and retailers in the United States, Europe, and various Asian countries as overseas authorized stores.

The challenge lay in the analog management of certification documents centered around paper. It was difficult to retrieve bronze statues that had reached their expiration date, and there were cases where they remained on display even after expiration. Consumers also sought an easy way to verify whether a store was authorized, both domestically and internationally. In addition to certification management, the council is considering expanding information dissemination regarding authorized stores and Kobe Beef through NFC tags.

Implementation in Sake and Banking

SHIMENAWA is a service that combines IC tags (RFID/NFC) and blockchain to assign unique IDs to physical assets and cards, recording and managing related information. It supports authenticity verification, distribution history recording, and inventory management. The NFC tags used are specially designed with a logo in collaboration with Uni Tag.

SBI Traceability, established in April 2021, has provided this service for sake, wine, and natural turquoise jewelry. In June 2026, Fukushima Bank adopted it for a novelty in a time deposit campaign. The company had previously announced that it would use R3's enterprise blockchain "Corda" as its foundation.

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