Nishiwaki City, Hyogo Prefecture, and IOBI Inc. Launch 'MILC Project,' a Regional Revitalization Project Utilizing Corporate Hometown Tax Donations

IOBI Inc. (Headquarters: Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture; Representative Director: Tomohiro Ishii), in collaboration with Nishiwaki City, Hyogo Prefecture (Mayor: Shozo Katayama), has launched the 'MILC Project,' a regional revitalization project utilizing corporate hometown tax donations. Nishiwaki City is the first municipality to collaborate on the 'MILC Project.' By certifying partnering municipalities in this project as 'Made In Local Special Zone Municipalities,' we plan to provide support in all directions, not just promoting corporate hometown tax donations. **・Click here for the special site for the MILC Project (Made In Local for Children)** https://madeinlocal.jp/milc-project --- ## Background of the collaboration with Nishiwaki City and the "MILC Project" Nishiwaki City has been promoting distinctive city development through corporate hometown tax donations from many companies. As the city continues to approach companies with high goals for further development through these donations, they have appointed our Mr. Ishii as an advisor for Nishiwaki City's corporate hometown tax donations. Upon this appointment, we planned the 'MILC Project' (Made In Local for Children), rather than simply collecting donations. The outline of the initiative is to create a flow of funds from cities to regions by having companies selected for the 'Top 100 Local Companies' make corporate hometown tax donations to our designated 'Made In Local Special Zone' municipalities. The funds donated by the selected companies will be utilized as necessary expenses in the 'Children and Education' field to build the future of the 'Made In Local Special Zone Municipalities.' In recent times, when large amounts of taxes must be spent on social security and infrastructure maintenance, we hope to provide a slightly better child-rearing and educational environment for the next generation who will build the future of Japan and its regions. We have designated Nishiwaki City as the first municipality and hope to expand this initiative nationwide. **** Nishiwaki City is located almost in the center of Hyogo Prefecture, at the 'Navel of Japan' where 135 degrees east longitude and 35 degrees north latitude intersect. It is situated where the southeastern tip of the Chugoku Mountains meets the Harima Plain, surrounded by mountains and hills ranging from 200 to 600 meters in elevation, with Mt. Saikoji (712.9 meters) as its highest peak. The Kakogawa River, the longest in the prefecture, flows through the center, joining the Sugihara and Noma rivers in the southern part of the city. Settlements and agricultural lands are formed in the plains opened along these rivers. Since ancient times, it has prospered as a production center for 'Banshu Weave' and 'Banshu Fishhooks.' 'Kurodasho Wagyu,' the basis for Kobe Beef, and 'Yamada Nishiki,' a representative sake-brewing rice, have gained high national acclaim. The city also focuses on agricultural promotion, such as organic soil development. In 2021, it was certified as a national SDGs Future City. In the Nikkei's 'National Municipal SDGs Progress Survey,' it ranked first for three consecutive times among municipalities with a population of less than 50,000, promoting city development based on SDGs philosophies. --- ## Comments and Background from Representative Ishii