Choshi City, Chiba Prefecture Wins Rakuten Shop of the Month (Monthly MVP) Furusato Nozei Award
Key facts
- Choshi City, Chiba Prefecture Wins Rakuten Shop of the Month (Monthly MVP) Furusato Nozei Award
- Choshi City, Chiba Prefecture, has won the Furusato Nozei (hometown tax donation) award for April 2026 in Rakuten Ichiba's 'Rakuten Shop of the Month' program, its first such win. The announcement was made by Punctual Inc., which manages the city's furusato nozei operations. Donations to the city have been growing rapidly, reaching 7 billion yen in fiscal year 2025.
- Source: PR Times
- Date: June 4, 2026
Direct answer
Choshi City, Chiba Prefecture, has won the Furusato Nozei (hometown tax donation) award for April 2026 in Rakuten Ichiba's 'Rakuten Shop of the Month' program, its first such win. The announcement was made by Punctual Inc., which manages the city's furusato nozei operations. Donations to the city have been growing rapidly, reaching 7 billion yen in fiscal year 2025.
- Citation
- Choshi City, Chiba Prefecture Wins Rakuten Shop of the Month (Monthly MVP) Furusato Nozei Award (June 4, 2026), PR Times
- Source
- PR Times
- Date
- June 4, 2026
Choshi City, Chiba Prefecture, has won the Furusato Nozei (hometown tax donation) award for April 2026 in Rakuten Ichiba's 'Rakuten Shop of the Month' program, its first such win. The announcement was made by Punctual Inc., which manages the city's furusato nozei operations. Donations to the city have been growing rapidly, reaching 7 billion yen in fiscal year 2025.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: June 4, 2026 at 19:39
- 🔍 Collected: June 4, 2026 at 10:50
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: June 6, 2026 at 23:33 (60h 42m after Collected)
Choshi City, Chiba Prefecture, for which Punctual Inc. (Headquarters: Susaki City, Kochi Prefecture; Representative Director: Ken Moritoki; hereinafter 'Punctual') manages furusato nozei (hometown tax donation) operations, has won the Furusato Nozei Award for April 2026 in the 'Rakuten Shop of the Month' program on the shopping site 'Rakuten Ichiba'. This is the city's first time winning this award. Punctual will continue its efforts to make Choshi City 'a town loved by everyone.'
https://event.rakuten.co.jp/somshop/2026/0526/index.html?scid=wi_ich_ichibaapp_weburl_share
Located in northeastern Chiba Prefecture, Choshi City is a 'fishery city' boasting one of the largest fish hauls in Japan. In an effort to deliver the bounty of the sea to people nationwide, the city enhanced its selection of seafood products, resulting in significant popularity for items like salmon and mackerel. As its appeal became more widely known, the number of its return gifts ranking in the overall Rakuten Ichiba rankings increased. Donations to Choshi City (on a settlement basis) have been increasing year by year: 700 million yen in FY2023 (239% year-on-year), 2.65 billion yen in FY2024 (376.5% year-on-year), and 7 billion yen in FY2025 (265% year-on-year).
Reina Fujigasaki, Manager of the Punctual Choshi Office, commented, 'This award is thanks to the support and cooperation of our donors, producers, and business partners. We will continue to share the region's appeal nationwide and work to build fans through furusato nozei.'
About 'Rakuten Shop of the Month'
This award is selected from among the 50,000 shops on Rakuten Ichiba based on customer evaluations and is equivalent to a 'Monthly MVP.' Categories include 'Genre Awards' by product type, 'Prefectural Awards,' and the 'Strongest Next-Day Delivery Award.'
About Punctual Inc.
With the mission of 'Creating regions that can compete globally,' Punctual provides support to local governments to achieve true regional revitalization through furusato nozei management, e-commerce business, and community development. By living in the municipalities it supports, becoming part of the community, and offering solutions to local challenges, the company contributes to regional development with extensive experience and know-how.
■ Company Overview
Company Name: Punctual Inc.
Representative: Ken Moritoki, Representative Director
Established: March 2020
Location: 1-12 Midorimachi, Susaki City, Kochi Prefecture
Business: Local character management, EC business, PR business, Furusato Nozei management business
URL: https://punctual.co.jp/
https://event.rakuten.co.jp/somshop/2026/0526/index.html?scid=wi_ich_ichibaapp_weburl_share
Located in northeastern Chiba Prefecture, Choshi City is a 'fishery city' boasting one of the largest fish hauls in Japan. In an effort to deliver the bounty of the sea to people nationwide, the city enhanced its selection of seafood products, resulting in significant popularity for items like salmon and mackerel. As its appeal became more widely known, the number of its return gifts ranking in the overall Rakuten Ichiba rankings increased. Donations to Choshi City (on a settlement basis) have been increasing year by year: 700 million yen in FY2023 (239% year-on-year), 2.65 billion yen in FY2024 (376.5% year-on-year), and 7 billion yen in FY2025 (265% year-on-year).
Reina Fujigasaki, Manager of the Punctual Choshi Office, commented, 'This award is thanks to the support and cooperation of our donors, producers, and business partners. We will continue to share the region's appeal nationwide and work to build fans through furusato nozei.'
About 'Rakuten Shop of the Month'
This award is selected from among the 50,000 shops on Rakuten Ichiba based on customer evaluations and is equivalent to a 'Monthly MVP.' Categories include 'Genre Awards' by product type, 'Prefectural Awards,' and the 'Strongest Next-Day Delivery Award.'
About Punctual Inc.
With the mission of 'Creating regions that can compete globally,' Punctual provides support to local governments to achieve true regional revitalization through furusato nozei management, e-commerce business, and community development. By living in the municipalities it supports, becoming part of the community, and offering solutions to local challenges, the company contributes to regional development with extensive experience and know-how.
■ Company Overview
Company Name: Punctual Inc.
Representative: Ken Moritoki, Representative Director
Established: March 2020
Location: 1-12 Midorimachi, Susaki City, Kochi Prefecture
Business: Local character management, EC business, PR business, Furusato Nozei management business
URL: https://punctual.co.jp/
FAQ
What is the official name of the award Choshi City won?
It is the Rakuten Shop of the Month (Monthly MVP) Furusato Nozei Award.
When did Choshi City win this award?
It won the award for April 2026.
How have Choshi City's furusato nozei donations changed?
Donations grew from 700 million yen in FY2023 to 7 billion yen in FY2025.
Which company manages Choshi City's furusato nozei?
Punctual Inc., based in Susaki City, Kochi Prefecture.
What are Punctual's main businesses?
Furusato nozei management, e-commerce, local character management, and PR.