Japan continues to expand its mining business, and this city is recruiting cryptocurrency miners

Kazuno, a city known for its renewable energy and low winter temperatures, is recruiting cryptocurrency miners to use its clean electricity. One company has announced that it will open "Japan's first mining center using clean energy" in the city, and plans to mine 10 cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin.

Japanese cities recruit miners

Kazuno, Japan, is trying to attract a large number of companies with its renewable energy. Located in Akita Prefecture, this mountainous city in northern Japan has a population of nearly 32,000.

It has a typical temperate continental humid climate, with heavy snowfall in winter.

The average annual temperature in Kazuno City is very low, which helps to improve the high temperature conditions generated by computer mining through heat dissipation and cooling effects.

The Kano City government has extended an olive branch to companies that need to use renewable clean electricity. The city has abundant renewable energy, including geothermal, hydroelectric and wind power, and its electricity self-sufficiency rate exceeds 300%.

Opening of mining center

Miner Garage, a Tokyo-based company that mines Bitcoin and other digital currencies, recently announced that it has been certified and invited to operate in Kazuno City.

The company’s president, Takuya Omata, said:

With the help of the city and utilizing its natural resources such as clean energy, Miner Garage will open and operate Japan’s first clean energy mining center by December of this year.

With such natural resources, the company believes that "mining is feasible in Japan and can compete with a large number of mining companies outside of Japan."

According to reports, the Miner Garage mining center will officially open in mid-December:

The mining center will first install 600 computers, and it is expected that these devices will generate nearly 300 million yen (about 17 million yuan) in mining income each year, and will be able to handle mining of 10 virtual currencies including Bitcoin.

Miner Garage will create local jobs and train blockchain engineers. They are currently negotiating terms with Tohoku Electric Power Company regarding the purchase of renewable energy.

Changing the mining environment in Japan

Electricity costs have long been a hindrance to the operation of the mining industry in Japan. To address this issue, the country’s two major power suppliers have begun providing low-cost electricity in an effort to reduce mining costs.

Japanese renewable energy provider Looop announced earlier this month the launch of its own low-cost electricity tariff for miners.

At the time, Looop’s president, Shoichiro Nakamura, said:

High electricity costs are a bottleneck for Japan, making it difficult for the mining industry to penetrate the market.

Separately, Japanese energy supplier Remixpoint, the parent company of bitcoin exchange Bitpoint, is also offering discounts on electricity used by miners.

At the same time, Japan's three major financial groups, GMO, DMM and SBI Group, have announced plans to enter the mining field.