Can a little effort reduce the price of returned goods? …Experts explain the innovations you need to know about hometown taxation
The company introduces scallops, negitoro (tuna), and other items carefully selected by experts for return!
Furusato tax payment allows people to make income-based donations to municipalities other than their place of residence and receive deductions for both inhabitant and income taxes. In the first part of the article, we sought advice from experts and introduced several fruits as special returns that can be applied for for less than 10,000 yen.
Next, let’s move on to food products other than fruits. In the past, a donation of less than 10,000 yen would entitle the recipient to 5 kg of new rice, but due to the nationwide rise in rice prices, most returns are now 2 kg for a donation of 10,000 yen, which is not very economical. For 10,000 yen, 24 servings of 180g packaged rice will be delivered to the city of Kakuda in Miyagi Prefecture. The taste is not as good as new rice, but the convenience and quantity are perfect.
Shizuoka City’s Negitoro (15 100g packets for a 10,000 yen donation) is delicious over rice. It is individually packaged and frozen, so you can defrost it as much as you want and serve it with a bowl of rice topped with negitoro and a dash of soy sauce.
Chicken thighs from Ninohe City, Iwate Prefecture, the largest producer of young chickens in eastern Japan (donated at 9,000 yen), are also great as an accompaniment to rice if you deep fry them,” says Kai.
Seafood, which has an image of being expensive, can also be returned for a small amount.
The most popular item is dried bonito tataki. Most municipalities accept a donation of 5,000 yen, but with “Amazon Furusato Tax” you can receive 400 grams of dried bonito tataki for a donation of 4,000 yen to Ainan Town in Ehime Prefecture.
Another item that has been gaining popularity recently is small-capacity frozen salmon. For a 6,000 yen donation to Taiki Town, Mie Prefecture, you will receive 1 kg. The standard frozen salmon return package is 3 kg for 13,000 yen, but this is a very large amount and will put a lot of pressure on freezer space. However, 1 kg is easy to use for single-person households that do not have a very large freezer, and is highly recommended.
In addition, scallops, which often require a donation of 10,000 yen or more, are available in Betsukai Town, Hokkaido, where a donation of 9,500 yen will get you 400 grams of scallops.
Many websites offer the price at 11,500 yen, but if you go to “Rakuten Furusato Tax” and select the “Variety” size and the delivery date as “by the end of January of the following year,” you will receive 9,500 yen. They are not large, but the total weight remains the same.
If you have already applied for a large quantity of food by the end of September, you can also choose daily necessities.
A donation of 8,000 yen to Kama City in Fukuoka Prefecture will get you a set of 20 600 ml bottles of dishwashing detergent from a local company, Rocket Soap. I also recommend the Seki Magoroku nail clippers from Seki City, Gifu Prefecture (5,000 yen donation); I’ve been using them for 10 years and they never lose their sharpness.
If you drink highballs at home, you can also order highly carbonated water (4,500 yen donation) from Susono City, Shizuoka Prefecture, which comes in 24 500 ml PET bottles,” said Kai.
The “Famima Furusato Tax Payment” operated by FamilyMart, a major convenience store, also offers coupons that can be used at Famima stores, such as a set of five coupons for “Mocha Blend S” from Famima Cafe (Kasugai City, Aichi Prefecture; 3,000 yen donation).
In the past, companies operating hometown tax portals competed with each other over “how many points to give. However, now that this has been banned, there is competition based on such points as ‘the amount of donation is cheaper than other companies for the same product,’ ‘there are products only handled by the company,’ and ‘shipping is quicker.
In other words, in the future, it will be necessary to compare the donation amounts of different companies for each of the products you want to return, rather than choosing the best site for the best price.
There is only one month left until the end of this year’s application deadline. Why don’t you donate to the maximum amount and enjoy the most economical year-end?
From the December 12, 2025 issue of FRIDAY
