Japan's Trading Giant Tokenizes Ships, Planes to Unlock Household Savings

Mitsui is leveraging its position as a global trading house to access underlying assets that are typically out of reach for retail investors. The company already manages 19 digital real estate products but the addition of bulk carriers and commercial jets gives it a unique advantage in a crowded market.

The timing is strategic. Japan Aircraft Development Corp. predicts global passenger demand will double by 2043. Simultaneously the government has set a goal to double annual shipbuilding volume by 2035. Tokenization provides the capital liquidity to fuel this industrial expansion.

Digital year zero

The initiative aligns with a broader national pivot. Tokyo has declared 2026 as "Digital Year Zero" effectively abandoning decades of conservatism toward digital assets.

The shift is visible across the market. The public security token market in Japan reached a cumulative issuance of over 160bn yen ($1.05bn) in fiscal 2024 according to BOOSTRY. Meanwhile SBI is heading a consortium to launch a 24/7 tokenized equity market later this year that will allow public company shares to be traded in single-yen increments.

The government views this not as "crypto" but as a modernization of capital markets. By treating digital securities as regulated financial products under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act the Financial Services Agency is betting that blockchain can finally mobilize the $14tn in cash currently sitting in Japanese bank accounts.