"Furusato Nozei," a popular system that allows people to freely choose a municipality they want to support and make a donation in exchange for local specialty products, launched " Mitsukoshi Isetan Furusato Nozei " in 2019, and has been well-received for offering department store quality return gifts carefully selected by buyers.

This time, we'll introduce some carefully selected return gifts that will surely appeal to men, including sparkling sake in Keith Haring bottles and designer collaborations.

The deadline for "hometown tax" donations in 2020 is December 31st (Thursday).

The Furusato Nozei (hometown tax donation) system was conceived and established in 2007 during the first Abe administration by Yoshihide Suga (the current Prime Minister), who was then Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications, in order to accelerate the transfer of financial resources to local areas. A major attraction of the system is that, in addition to standard return gifts such as meat and rice, there are many diverse return gifts that each local government has come up with after putting their heads together.

With "Mitsukoshi Isetan Furusato Nozei" (Hometown Tax Donation), Mitsukoshi Isetan buyers, who have a deep understanding of the region, work with local businesses to select recommended specialty products from each area.

1. "Shichiken Sparkling" Keith Haring Commemorative Bottle

A unique return gift from Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture, home to the "Nakamura Keith Haring Museum"

Yamanashi Meijo Co., Ltd., with a history of over 200 years, released "Shichiken Sparkling" in 2015 after five years of development. Leveraging that experience, in 2020 they announced "Shichiken Sparkling EXPRESSION 2020," which is made by secondary fermentation in the bottle using a new fermentation technique on 40-year-old daiginjo sake. Applying the traditional technique of brewing sake with sake, it is stored and aged in domestically produced cherry wood barrels. "EXPRESSION," bottled in a special Keith Haring art bottle, is available as a three-bottle set from 2018 to 2020, and donations are being accepted.

2. Glass speaker "Exponential"

No power supply required! Unique glass speakers handcrafted by artisans.

This power-free glass speaker, created for enjoying music on smartphones, is made by Sugawara Glass Crafts, a company that has been producing handmade glass products by artisans since its founding in 1932. Its unique feature is that sound is amplified through reflection, transforming digital sound sources into a rich, analog tone through the glass. The new form, which adorns any space like an interior object, was designed by product designer Keita Suzuki.

3. "SIWA" uses "Naoron," a type of Japanese paper that expands the possibilities of paper.

The "SIWA" series, created by a washi paper manufacturer in collaboration with Naoto Fukasawa.

SIWA | Kamiwa is a brand designed and supervised by Naoto Fukasawa, a product designer also from Yamanashi Prefecture, and Ohnao, a manufacturer located in Ichikawa-Misato Town, a paper-producing area in Yamanashi Prefecture with a 1000-year history. Their uniquely developed washi paper, "Naoron," possesses the suppleness of washi paper while being durable and tear-resistant even when wet. The PC/tablet case accommodates 16-inch devices and weighs only 120 grams! The bi-fold wallet + coin case set weighs a mere 22 grams, boasting an astonishingly light weight that is less than one-third the weight of a leather wallet.

4. Joel Robuchon x Sakurai cutlery from Tsubame City, Niigata Prefecture

From the form and weight to the ease of use, Robuchon's attention to detail is evident.

Tsubame City in Niigata Prefecture accounts for over 90% of the domestic production share of metal tableware, and its technology is widely known. Tsubame City's cutlery manufacturer, Sakurai, and the late Joël Robuchon, who always sought out high-quality materials and tools and whose restaurant has earned many Michelin stars around the world, have collaborated to develop this cutlery set. Each piece is individually engraved and comes in a set of six dinner knives, six dinner forks, and six dinner spoons.

• What is Furusato Nozei (hometown tax donation)?

• Furusato Nozei (hometown tax donation) is a system that allows you to freely choose and donate to a local government of your choice. Not only does your donation contribute to the local community, but some local governments also send local specialties and products as a token of appreciation to donors. Furthermore, by using the "tax return" or "one-stop special exception system," you can receive a deduction or refund of resident tax and income tax for the portion of your donation exceeding 2,000 yen . First, find out the maximum amount of Furusato Nozei deduction that will be applied according to your income, and then select a local government that matches that amount while looking at the list of return gifts.
• ▶ Click here for more details about the maximum amount.