Japanese Furusato Nozei donation program promotion

Efforts to promote Japan’s ‘Furusato Nozei’ (hometown tax donation) system are being highlighted through both large-scale commercial events and specific municipal initiatives.

JALUX, a trading company under Japan Airlines, announced the second annual ‘JAL Furusato Nozei Fair’ at Haneda Airport, scheduled for late October 2026. The event has expanded to include eight participating municipalities from regions such as Hokkaido, Chiba, and Okinawa, aiming to connect travelers with local areas through tourism promotion and tastings.

Concurrently, individual municipalities like Uken Village and Nakagawa Town are detailing how donations support local needs. Uken Village has secured eligibility for the 2026–2027 period to fund welfare and nature conservation, while Nakagawa Town is utilizing the system for childcare, industrial promotion, and tourism development. Uken Village also issued warnings regarding fraudulent websites mimicking official donation portals.

However, the system faces significant regulatory shifts. Effective October 2026, Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has implemented stricter regulations regarding return gifts to prevent rule violations. These include restrictions on electronic products manufactured overseas with only local planning and beverages using local logos on products sourced from other regions.

New rules require municipalities to prove that the ‘added value’ of a processed product accounts for at least 50% of its price, while the cap on expenses for procurement, shipping, and platform fees will be reduced by 2.5%. Approximately 22,000 items may be removed from circulation. These changes are expected to cause price increases for donors; for instance, Sendai City plans to raise donation requirements by an average of 10%.