We previously reported on Japan's "Furusato Nozei" (hometown tax), where hometowns typically offer gifts as a token of appreciation, usually local specialties or unique products. However, recently, more and more local governments are choosing to collaborate with anime IPs, allowing taxpayers to receive exclusive related merchandise, which has spurred a wave of tax payments.
According to the Japanese domestic tax information website "Furusato Choice," these local governments collaborating with anime IPs have shown a growing trend in recent years. Furthermore, an increasing number of people are willing to pay taxes to their hometowns and support their growth for this reason, with the annual growth rate being remarkably significant, also meeting the financial needs of these regions.
For example, the Gifu Prefecture Seki City tax gift featuring "Fist of the North Star" merchandise, which we previously wrote about, is one such case. These regions combine anime IPs to create special merchandise, allowing you to pay taxes to give back to your hometown while also acquiring interesting items. Compared to past local returns of delicious local foods like meat and fruit, this approach has gained greater public favor.
For instance, the current Furusato Nozei reward activities in Japan include numerous anime IPs, such as "Jashin-chan Dropkick," "Love Live! Sunshine!!," "Natsume's Book of Friends," "Attack on Titan," and "Golden Kamuy." Typically, the collaborating prefectures and cities have a connection to the work itself, either through the work's setting, the author's geographical ties, or because the collaborative merchandise is produced in that prefecture/city.
▼ "Jashin-chan Dropkick" collaborates with Takamori Town, Kumamoto Prefecture
▼ "Love Live! Sunshine!!" collaborates with Numazu City, Shizuoka Prefecture
▼ "Natsume's Book of Friends" collaborates with Hitoyoshi City, Kumamoto Prefecture
▼ "Attack on Titan" collaborates with Hita City, Oita Prefecture
▼ "Golden Kamuy" collaborates with Eniwa City, Hokkaido
It's clear that Japanese local governments are truly dedicated to boosting local tax revenue. With the advent of Japan's Furusato Nozei, many agencies specializing in Furusato Nozei applications have emerged, forming a new industry. These agencies print dazzling catalogs of diverse return gifts and create simple, clear application websites to attract customers. Perhaps this approach makes more people feel a greater sense of return when paying taxes to the government.
via： アキバ総研