New Era for Furusato Tax: Tokyo Offers High-End Dining and Kyoto Adds Geisha Experiences

May 24, 2024 | News On Japan

TOKYO - The Garden Lounge at a hotel in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward, featuring a grand chandelier and a high ceiling, is offering a unique experience as part of the furusato tax program.

The highlight is an afternoon tea enjoyed with a view of the lush garden, now available as a return gift for donations to Shinjuku Ward. Since the program started in October 2023, the afternoon tea voucher, offered for a 20,000 yen donation, has been highly popular.

Previously, return gifts for furusato tax donations were often local specialties from rural areas, leaving urban areas like Shinjuku with fewer appealing options. This led to a significant loss in tax revenue for central municipalities, with Shinjuku Ward's tax revenue decreasing by about 3.8 billion yen.

However, metropolitan municipalities are now entering the return gift competition, changing the landscape of the furusato tax system.

Source: FNN

Typhoon Moves Away From Okinawa but Severe Weather Risks Remain

Large and powerful Typhoon No. 9 (Bavi) has made landfall in central China and is moving northwest, bringing an end to the worst of the rain across Okinawa while leaving dangerous seas and strong winds in its wake. Forecasters are also warning that the system could trigger heavy rain in Hokkaido later this week after transitioning into an extratropical cyclone.

Typhoon No. 9 Travel Disruptions Continue on Some Okinawa Routes

Transport disruption from Typhoon No. 9 (Bavi) continued on July 12, with airlines warning that some flights serving Okinawa’s outlying islands could still face delays, cancellations or conditional operations even after the storm moved away from the prefecture.

JAXA Successfully Lands Reusable Rocket Test Vehicle

JAXA successfully landed a small experimental vehicle for a reusable rocket on July 11, marking a step toward technology that could increase the frequency of space launches while helping reduce costs.

Bear Sightings Surge With 50 Cases in Iwate in One Week

A wave of bear sightings across Japan has forced the cancellation of traditional summer events, while one animal entered a home and came within inches of a sleeping resident's face.

Brutal Heat to Grip Japan as Heatstroke Risk Climbs

Japan is expected to remain under intense summer heat through next week as the Pacific high-pressure system continues to dominate the country, bringing widespread temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius and increasing the risk of heatstroke.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Travel NEWS

Bear Sightings Surge With 50 Cases in Iwate in One Week

A wave of bear sightings across Japan has forced the cancellation of traditional summer events, while one animal entered a home and came within inches of a sleeping resident's face.

Nara's Deer Population Runs Wild

Large numbers of deer are appearing in residential neighborhoods around Nara, raising concerns over traffic accidents, crop damage and the spread of ticks and fleas as the animals move farther beyond Nara Park in search of food.

Hokuriku Shinkansen Osaka Extension Narrowed to Obama-Kyoto and Maibara Routes

Plans to extend the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tsuruga in Fukui Prefecture to Shin-Osaka have been narrowed from eight proposals to two main options, the Obama-Kyoto route and the Maibara route, as concerns grow over construction costs and the potential impact on Kyoto's groundwater and cultural heritage.