Hioki City 'Smile Project' Begins: Turning Hometown Tax into 'Experiences' for Local Children by Delivering Sweets
Hioki City, LR, and local pastry shop 'Aoyama Juan' have launched a project using hometown tax donations to deliver local sweets to children. This initiative redefines rewards as 'experiences' to foster hometown pride.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 28, 2026 at 21:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 28, 2026 at 12:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 28, 2026 at 13:32 (1h 0m after Collected)
LR (Headquarters: Hioki City, Kagoshima; President: Yuma Suenaga), which provides support for Hioki City's hometown tax rewards, along with Hioki City and the local confectionery 'Aoyama Juan,' will implement the 'Hioki City Smile Project.' Instead of sending physical return gifts to donors, this initiative uses hometown tax donations to deliver famous local sweets to local children.
In this project, sweets are treated not just as 'goods' but as an 'experience' to be shared with family and friends. The goal is for these efforts to lead to children's smiles, becoming part of their memories as they grow up to support their community in the future.
■ Overview of 'Hioki City Smile Project'
This project uses hometown tax donations to provide 'Satsuma 77-man goku Lava Puffs,' the signature product of Aoyama Juan, free of charge to children attending kindergartens and nurseries in Hioki City. Positioned as an 'experience' rather than mere products, the time spent enjoying the sweets at school or with family is intended to remain in their hearts as a memory of growing up in Hioki City. Thanks to the support of donors who agreed with this mission, the target has been reached. Distribution to local children will begin in May 2026.
■ Background: Commercialization of an Award-Winning Idea
The project originated from an idea that won the Grand Prize at a 2025 presentation contest for developing new hometown tax rewards. Evaluated for its ability to create community engagement through sweets, the idea was realized through six months of collaboration between the government, private sector, and local business.
■ Reward Details
The project is funded by donors who wished for their contributions to be used for the future of Hioki City. The donation amount and number of recipients are set based on the product name 'Satsuma 77-man goku Lava Puff.'
Donation Amount: 770,000 yen
Target: Children in Hioki City kindergartens/nurseries
Max Recipients: Up to 777 children
Scheduled Start: May 8, 2026
■ Thoughts from 'Aoyama Juan'
Since its founding, Aoyama Juan has focused on 'authentic deliciousness.' The shop decided to participate in this project out of gratitude for the community. They hope to be a part of children's memories so that when they grow up, they look back fondly on the sweets they ate, fostering a lasting affection for Hioki City.
In this project, sweets are treated not just as 'goods' but as an 'experience' to be shared with family and friends. The goal is for these efforts to lead to children's smiles, becoming part of their memories as they grow up to support their community in the future.
■ Overview of 'Hioki City Smile Project'
This project uses hometown tax donations to provide 'Satsuma 77-man goku Lava Puffs,' the signature product of Aoyama Juan, free of charge to children attending kindergartens and nurseries in Hioki City. Positioned as an 'experience' rather than mere products, the time spent enjoying the sweets at school or with family is intended to remain in their hearts as a memory of growing up in Hioki City. Thanks to the support of donors who agreed with this mission, the target has been reached. Distribution to local children will begin in May 2026.
■ Background: Commercialization of an Award-Winning Idea
The project originated from an idea that won the Grand Prize at a 2025 presentation contest for developing new hometown tax rewards. Evaluated for its ability to create community engagement through sweets, the idea was realized through six months of collaboration between the government, private sector, and local business.
■ Reward Details
The project is funded by donors who wished for their contributions to be used for the future of Hioki City. The donation amount and number of recipients are set based on the product name 'Satsuma 77-man goku Lava Puff.'
Donation Amount: 770,000 yen
Target: Children in Hioki City kindergartens/nurseries
Max Recipients: Up to 777 children
Scheduled Start: May 8, 2026
■ Thoughts from 'Aoyama Juan'
Since its founding, Aoyama Juan has focused on 'authentic deliciousness.' The shop decided to participate in this project out of gratitude for the community. They hope to be a part of children's memories so that when they grow up, they look back fondly on the sweets they ate, fostering a lasting affection for Hioki City.