The purpose of the ".kyoto" geographical top-level domain name is to promote the Kyoto brand and Kyoto's presence domestically and internationally based on Kyoto's regional characteristics, and to foster a sense of unity among the citizens of Kyoto Prefecture. On March 1, a member of Kyoto Information Industry Association, Kyoto Computer Gakuen and Kyoto Joho Gakuen, The Kyoto college of Graduate Studies for Informatics (KCGI), was selected by Kyoto Prefecture as the only registry in charge of the introduction, management, and registration of the ".kyoto" domain name.
KCGI is Japan's first professional graduate school of ICT, which opened in April 2004, inheriting the tradition and achievements of Kyoto Computer Gakuin, which was established in 1963 as the first computer education institution in Japan, and has been providing computer and information processing education for about 50 years since then.
In preparation for the application, the Kyoto Information Industry Association, an incorporated association approved by Kyoto Prefecture, established the "Dot Kyoto Steering Committee" (Chairman: Sadao Kitagawa, Representative of Kagoya Japan Co.) in 2010 to consider the application. As a result, The Kyoto College of Graduate Studies for Informatics was found to be the most appropriate applicant among the member organizations of the association because of its 1) high public interest and credibility (It has the ".edu" domain as a U.S. federally accredited institution of higher education, a university-established school corporation approved by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan.) and 2) high expertise in ICT (Information and Communication Technology). The application has been supported by many organizations, including Doshisha University, neighboring universities, and the Association of National Associations of Regional Information Industries (ANIA). In response, The Kyoto College of Graduate Studies for Informatics prepared and submitted the application to Kyoto Prefecture on February 10.
Widespread use of ".kyoto" by Kyoto Prefecture and other public corporations, as well as local businesses and educational institutions, is expected to enhance the international recognition and brand power of Kyoto as a whole, and stimulate social and economic activities. We, as a management and operation school, regard the use of ".kyoto" as a joint industry-government-academia "public service project" and intend not only to promote the appropriate management and operation, but also to construct a portal community site where only public institutions and public corporations that have acquired ".kyoto" can register and transmit information, to promote collaboration among corporations, and to actively promote various related projects to contribute to the content industry, such as tourism, movies, and animation, together with related public institutions.
In the future, we will apply to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) of the United States, which centrally manages domain names worldwide, as the "registry" for the management organization. After that, we will establish an operational structure, including server construction, domain name sales and management, and planning of specific events.
