[Yamagata Kawanishi Town Furusato Nozei] FY2025 Donation Amount Reaches Record High of Approximately 415.12 Million Yen, a Significant 128.3% Increase Year-on-Year

Kawanishi Town, Yamagata Prefecture (Mayor: Akira Motegi), is pleased to announce that its Furusato Nozei (hometown tax donation) amount for FY2025 (April 2025 - March 2026) reached approximately 415.12 million yen (a 28.28% increase compared to the previous fiscal year), achieving the highest donation amount ever for the town's Furusato Nozei program. This growth rate significantly surpasses the national average growth rate for municipalities (8.03%) by approximately 20 points, a result of tremendous support received from people across the country through Furusato Nozei.

Our main local products, especially Yamagata-grown rice such as "Tsuyahime" and "Yukimusume," received high evaluations as return gifts, with the rice category alone accounting for 84.51% of the total donation amount. We express our deepest gratitude to the donors, producers, various portal sites, and all other related parties.

Furthermore, starting from FY2026 (April 2026 - March 2027), we will sequentially introduce three new services: "JAL Furusato Nozei," "ANA Furusato Nozei," and "Choice Pay." We will work to improve donor convenience and further enhance the promotion of Kawanishi Town's appeal.

The donation amount significantly increased by approximately 91.50 million yen from the previous year, updating the record high. The primary factors for this are an increase in the average donation amount per donation and a large influx of donations in October, which is the largest donation season of the year, coinciding with the shipping season for FY2025 rice.

Popular Return Gifts TOP 3 (FY2025, based on donation amount)

Here are the top three most supported return gifts in FY2025.

All are brand rice from Kawanishi Town, Yamagata Prefecture, directly from farmers. These proud products are the culmination of the nature, climate, and producers' skills in Kawanishi Town, a renowned rice-producing region.

◯ 1st Place: FY2025 Yamagata-grown Tsuyahime 10kg (5kg x 2 bags)

https://item.rakuten.co.jp/f063827-kawanishi/1144535/

"Tsuyahime" is the pinnacle of brand rice that Yamagata Prefecture boasts. It is Kawanishi Town's proud specially cultivated rice, outstanding in grain size, white luster, umami, aroma, and stickiness.

◯ 2nd Place: FY2025 Yamagata-grown Yukimusume 10kg (5kg x 2 bags)

https://item.rakuten.co.jp/f063827-kawanishi/1144534/

"Yukimusume" is a new brand rice born in Yamagata. It features firm grains and moderate stickiness, with an elegant flavor that enhances side dishes.

◯ 3rd Place: FY2025 Yamagata-grown Tsuyahime and Yukimusume Tasting Set 10kg (5kg x 2 bags)

https://item.rakuten.co.jp/f063827-kawanishi/1144536/

We deliver a 5kg x 2 bag tasting set of "Tsuyahime" and "Yukimusume," the two major brand rices representing Kawanishi Town. You can enjoy the unique characteristics of each at once.

*Donation amounts are based on Rakuten Furusato Nozei listings as of May 1, 2026. Please check each return gift page for details and the latest information.

Newly Introduced Donation Reception Services (from FY2026)

To allow more people to easily make donations, we have sequentially introduced the following three services starting from FY2026. We will provide new donation experiences for donors, such as mileage accumulation and electronic money usage at businesses within the town.

■ JAL Furusato Nozei / ANA Furusato Nozei

These are Furusato Nozei sites linked to airline mileage services, where miles accumulate according to the donation amount. Even those who regularly use airplanes can further expand their travel enjoyment through donations to Kawanishi Town.

■ Choice Pay

This is an electronic gratitude voucher service provided by Furusato Choice. After donating, you can use it on the spot at participating stores when you visit Kawanishi Town, which is expected to contribute to regional revitalization through local consumption.

Kawanishi Town Furusato Nozei Partner Portal Sites

Donations and applications for Kawanishi Town can be made through the following portal sites:

Rakuten Furusato Nozei, Furusato Choice, Satofuru, Furunavi, Yahoo! Furusato Nozei, Amazon Furusato Nozei, JRE MALL Furusato Nozei, JAL Furusato Nozei [NEW], ANA Furusato Nozei [NEW]

About Kawanishi Town, Yamagata Prefecture

Kawanishi Town is located almost in the center of the Okitama Basin in the southern part of Yamagata Prefecture, with a population of approximately 13,000. It is known as a nature-rich town with magnificent rural landscapes and gentle hills, which the British female traveler Isabella Bird visited in the Meiji era and praised as "Asia's Arcadia" (ideal land). Agriculture, utilizing its vast rice paddies, is prosperous, and it is one of the prefecture's leading rice-producing areas, producing high-quality brand rice such as "Tsuyahime," "Yukimusume," and "Haenuki." It is also famous for its local sake, born from clear water and high-quality rice, and as a production area for Yonezawa beef. Furthermore, it boasts Japan's best "Kawanishi Dahlia Garden," where approximately 650 varieties and 100,000 dahlia flowers bloom, and the "Tenjinmori" - Tohoku's largest keyhole-shaped burial mound.