The value of existence is an exaggeration, but for your reference, we would like to show you how significant it is for us to exist as Sirius Cat, now or in the future.
Since it is called “existence value,” it refers to the value of existence, i.e., how much is Sirius Cat worth to the economy ? Since we are not a for-profit company, there is no particular meaning in calculating corporate value from an investor’s perspective, such as by using financial statements used by ordinary companies or discounting future profits that will be generated to the current value. However, since we are providing a public service, it is priceless! However, the story doesn’t progress, and in order to express it as value, it is necessary to show it with specific numbers based on some premise. Now, let’s think about what kind of assumptions, in other words, for whom, we should find value.
Sirius Cat’s mission is to create or support a society where animals, especially cats and humans, can live happily together into the future. In other words, let’s think about the value of existence from the perspective of a symbiotic society between cats and humans. And while there are many different styles of cats, including stray cats, domestic cats, and community cats, we think our focus on community cats is more in line with the purpose of this article.
Before thinking about the value of our existence, do you know how big a cat’s territory is? Domestic cats spend their time indoors, and unlike dogs, they don’t go for walks, so the size of the house becomes their territory or activity area. However, cats that live mainly outside, such as community cats, are generally said to live within a radius of 300 to 500m. In fact, at the Sirius Cat Observatory, several cats belonging to a building about 500m away occasionally visit. A 500m radius might be easier to understand if you imagine that XX-chome, XX-machi, XX-city (XX-chome is like a XX-street), in terms of address is within a 500m radius.
Animal protection organizations often create and maintain protected areas called sanctuaries for animals. Unlike shelters, they are generally a combination of a place where animals can live safely (a building or house) and a place where animals can move safely (a garden). We think it would be best to imagine a farm in terms of size. Dogs, cats, and other animals are equipped to live happily in ideal conditions.
So, how much does it cost to build these facilities in densely populated residential areas or urban areas ? Let’s estimate how much budget is needed to create an ideal environment in Akishima City, Tokyo, where Sirius Cat is currently headquartered. When we actually checked the environment on foot and by bicycle, and also measured it on a map, we found that there were approximately 430 buildings and sites within the cat’s territory, that is, within a radius of 500 meters, and within the area of XX-chome.
Next, let’s calculate their real estate prices. Real estate prices are basically market prices and negotiated transactions, but the reference value for land can be estimated from road prices. The inheritance tax land price around the Sirius Cat headquarters is 165,000 yen per square meter (approximately 0.8 times the market price), and the property tax land price for Akishima City as a whole is 132,000 yen per 1 square meter (approximately 0.7 times the market price), both of which are based on the market value. If you rebate it, it will be about 190,000 to 200,000 yen per square meter. Assuming that each plot is 100 sq. meters, this means that the property is being sold for approximately 20,000,000 yen. That’s all about land. Secondly, buildings are a mix of new construction and buildings built half a century ago, so calculation is not as simple as land. In Japan, it is believed that the value of items decreases with age, and based on the concept of depreciation, items are depreciated by a certain amount and eventually become worthless over several decades. However, since calculations cannot be made using this method, we consider that approximately half of the value remains, based on the replacement value due to insurance, etc., and assume that it is approximately 10,000,000 yen per plot. In other words, if you add up the land and building, you can acquire it for about 30,000,000 yen per plot. Multiplying this by the approximately 430 buildings or homes in the cat territory, centered on the Sirius Cat mentioned earlier, it comes to approximately 12.9 billion yen (approximately US$ 86,326,800).
What this means is that if the Sirius Cat were to freely, in other words, realize the ideals of the Sirius Cat, in order to create a society where “cats” and “humans” can live happily together into the future, in order to acquire the site and building and create a utopia called the Sirius Cat Kingdom, a minimum of 12.9 billion yen is required. However, in reality, acquiring land is not so easy, and of course, some people who have lived there for many years with attachment do not have any intention of selling it in the first place, as it is not a question of money. In other words, if you want to acquire these vast lots in bulk, you have no choice but to look for land that is already vacant and underutilized.
Now, here is a question that occurred to us. Do we really need to buy them in the first place ? Is paying 12.9 billion yen to acquire land really the best way to realize the goal of creating a society where cats and humans can live happily together into the future ? This is the question. If we can create an environment where cats can coexist with local residents, or where cats can be accepted by local residents, collaborate with the local government, and utilize various networks, we can create an environment where cats can live naturally. There is no need to forcefully create a kingdom. And now, in the area around the Sirius Cat Observatory, that is already happening or is happening. Sirius Cat has its headquarters in Akishima City, maintains these environments, and operates them appropriately, which can be said to have the same effect as having the Sirius Cat Kingdom. From an economic perspective, if the effects are the same, the option that does not incur the cost of 12.9 billion yen is superior. In other words, it can be said that there is an economic value of 12.9 billion yen for Sirius Cat to have its headquarters in Akishima City, exist there, and operate properly. Furthermore, we would also like to add that the Sirius Cat Observatory is one of the various activities, not the only activity in XX-Chome (XXth Street). Whether this amount of money is considered a lot or a little as a value of existence is up to each person’s own sense, but we would like to continue to carry out activities that are meaningful at this amount of money as a reasonable line of thinking.
Of course, the interpretation of this data is a bit forced, and it can be seen as a convenient estimate for us, but since economic value is only a method of showing what will happen if we assume certain assumptions, it is natural that we can change the assumptions and calculation method, the results will vary. And for some people, such things are worthless and not convertible into cash. Therefore, although this information is only for reference, we thought that it would be meaningful to present a specific number in the form of the value of existence from the perspective of Sirius Cat’s mission.
Sirius Cat Organization
