Under Japan’s hometown tax system, people can receive gifts by making donations to municipalities where they do not live. A recent survey found that many go on to actually take a trip to the municipalities they have supported.

A survey conducted by Trust Bank, which runs Furusato Choice, the donation site for Japan’s furusato nōzei hometown tax, revealed that 57.3% of the 1,683 people aged 20 and over who had made donations did so to areas they had previously visited on holiday. Among the reasons for doing this, 52.5% said it was because “I liked the area and wanted to give support” and 37.8% answered that “I wanted to receive a thank-you gift from the area I’d visited.”

Have you ever paid a hometown tax donation to an area you visited on vacation?
Why did you make a hometown tax donation to the area you visited?

On the flip side, 38.9% of people said they had “vacationed in an area where they had made a donation in the past.” And while less than half of the respondents did this, it was still clearly a reason for why they had chosen that area for a trip. When asked what was behind them taking such trips, the most common reason, with 47.8%, was “I wanted to taste the food I’d received as a thank-you gift actually in that area.” This was followed by 37.6% who said, “I grew attached to the area after making a donation.”

Have you ever visited the area to which you gave a hometown tax donation?
Why did you visit the area to which you gave a hometown tax donation?

Trust Bank suggested that the hometown tax donations stimulate people’s interest in various areas, gives them a reason to travel there, and leads to connections and interactions with local residents.

(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo © Pixta.)