[Satofull Newsletter] Report on the Award Ceremony for the 'Deliver to the Nation! Hometown Specialty PR Contest'
Satofull Co., Ltd. held an award ceremony for its 'Hometown Specialty PR Contest' on March 26, 2026. The event highlighted touching stories connecting high school students, local producers, and regional specialties.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 23, 2026 at 20:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 23, 2026 at 11:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 24, 2026 at 01:56 (14h 24m after Collected)
Satofull Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and CEO: Hiroaki Fujii), operator of the hometown tax portal site 'Satofull', held the award ceremony for the 'Deliver to the Nation! Hometown Specialty PR Contest' on March 26, 2026. This contest was held with the aim of broadcasting the charm of local specialties through photos, catchphrases, and episodes, and received 100 entries from across the country.
On the day of the award ceremony, winning works were introduced, critiques were given, and comments from winners and related parties were shared, allowing attendees to learn about the charm of the regions and the passion behind them.
■ Passions of the Winners Gathered: Report on the Award Ceremony Day
The hometown tax program is not just about making a donation; it is an opportunity to encounter specialties from various regions. To further expand these encounters, we held the 'Deliver to the Nation! Hometown Specialty PR Contest'. High school students and the general public participated in this contest, and after strict screening, the Grand Prize, Excellence Awards, and Special Awards were selected. The award ceremony was held at the Satofull headquarters on March 26, 2026. At the ceremony, winners spoke about the passion they put into their works, and producers and local government officials also shared their feelings about their regions and specialties, providing an opportunity to experience the charm of the regions from various perspectives.
Winners shared their background stories, such as, "Through inquiry activities at high school, I learned about the dedication of farmers producing plums, and applied for the contest to spread that charm," and their enthusiasm for the future, saying, "I haven't been good at expressing my feelings until now, but taking this opportunity, I want to challenge myself to communicate more."
In addition, reward providers and local government officials who produce the specialties that became the themes of the winning works spoke about the background of how the local specialties were born and their connection with the community, along with their gratitude and joy for the wonderful works submitted.
From every single episode woven into the works, local landscapes and human activities were recalled, making it a place to once again share the charm and value that specialties possess.
■ Comments from Winners, Local Governments / Reward Providers
* Please check the special website for details of the winning works.
High School Division, Excellence Award Winner: Pen Name Shimogoro
Work: Taking a breather with simple sweetness, charging up for the next step!
Since I was little, whenever I ate Yurokuan's Walnut Yokan sent by my grandmother from Shimogo Town, I felt warm and got the energy to "do my best in studying!" I would be happy if, triggered by this award, more people get to know the charm of Walnut Yokan and actually taste it.
I haven't been very good at expressing my feelings until now, but through this experience, I thought I would like to challenge myself to communicate in my own words.
Katsue Watanabe, Yurokuan (Reward Provider, Shimogo Town, Fukushima Prefecture)
All of us at Yurokuan were deeply touched by this gentle and energizing phrase; it made us feel so grateful that we couldn't help but cry out loud together.
The predecessor, Asahiya Seika, had decided to close down due to the earthquake disaster and the aging of the couple. While searching for a way to preserve a very delicious local specialty, what we found was this Walnut Yokan. After deciding to do it, we received strict Spartan training from the Asahiya Seika couple to get to where we are today.
Thank you so much for loving our Walnut Yokan!
High School Division, Excellence Award Winner: Pen Name Ume Juice Hokyuchu
Work: With love, to the large jewels. Annaka's green plums make my summer the strongest!
While doing inquiry activities under the theme of "Spreading Gunma's plums nationwide" in our school classes, we found this contest and applied, thinking we could spread the word nationwide through this. We had the opportunity to actually talk with the farmers, and we were very moved by the wonderfulness of each manual process we learned about there.
Many people might think of pickled plums (umeboshi) when they hear "Haruna's Plums," but various added values like plum juice and soap are being created.
We are very happy that people all over the country can learn about this through this opportunity.
* 'Ume Juice Hokyuchu' is a group of 6. One member was absent due to circumstances.
Ran Mizuguchi, Policy and Digital Promotion Division, Planning and Policy Department, Annaka City, Gunma Prefecture
We are very happy as a city that you have created such a wonderful work themed around Annaka City's green plums. We will also convey this to the businesses that produce the plums.
In hometown tax donations, green plums are a top-ranking popular reward item and are highly acclaimed by people nationwide. We will make efforts to connect the feelings of the six of you as we continue to PR Annaka City's plums nationwide.
We ask for your continued support for Annaka City.
At the venue, there were scenes of producers shedding tears after hearing the passion and episodes woven into the submitted works.
On the day of the award ceremony, winning works were introduced, critiques were given, and comments from winners and related parties were shared, allowing attendees to learn about the charm of the regions and the passion behind them.
■ Passions of the Winners Gathered: Report on the Award Ceremony Day
The hometown tax program is not just about making a donation; it is an opportunity to encounter specialties from various regions. To further expand these encounters, we held the 'Deliver to the Nation! Hometown Specialty PR Contest'. High school students and the general public participated in this contest, and after strict screening, the Grand Prize, Excellence Awards, and Special Awards were selected. The award ceremony was held at the Satofull headquarters on March 26, 2026. At the ceremony, winners spoke about the passion they put into their works, and producers and local government officials also shared their feelings about their regions and specialties, providing an opportunity to experience the charm of the regions from various perspectives.
Winners shared their background stories, such as, "Through inquiry activities at high school, I learned about the dedication of farmers producing plums, and applied for the contest to spread that charm," and their enthusiasm for the future, saying, "I haven't been good at expressing my feelings until now, but taking this opportunity, I want to challenge myself to communicate more."
In addition, reward providers and local government officials who produce the specialties that became the themes of the winning works spoke about the background of how the local specialties were born and their connection with the community, along with their gratitude and joy for the wonderful works submitted.
From every single episode woven into the works, local landscapes and human activities were recalled, making it a place to once again share the charm and value that specialties possess.
■ Comments from Winners, Local Governments / Reward Providers
* Please check the special website for details of the winning works.
High School Division, Excellence Award Winner: Pen Name Shimogoro
Work: Taking a breather with simple sweetness, charging up for the next step!
Since I was little, whenever I ate Yurokuan's Walnut Yokan sent by my grandmother from Shimogo Town, I felt warm and got the energy to "do my best in studying!" I would be happy if, triggered by this award, more people get to know the charm of Walnut Yokan and actually taste it.
I haven't been very good at expressing my feelings until now, but through this experience, I thought I would like to challenge myself to communicate in my own words.
Katsue Watanabe, Yurokuan (Reward Provider, Shimogo Town, Fukushima Prefecture)
All of us at Yurokuan were deeply touched by this gentle and energizing phrase; it made us feel so grateful that we couldn't help but cry out loud together.
The predecessor, Asahiya Seika, had decided to close down due to the earthquake disaster and the aging of the couple. While searching for a way to preserve a very delicious local specialty, what we found was this Walnut Yokan. After deciding to do it, we received strict Spartan training from the Asahiya Seika couple to get to where we are today.
Thank you so much for loving our Walnut Yokan!
High School Division, Excellence Award Winner: Pen Name Ume Juice Hokyuchu
Work: With love, to the large jewels. Annaka's green plums make my summer the strongest!
While doing inquiry activities under the theme of "Spreading Gunma's plums nationwide" in our school classes, we found this contest and applied, thinking we could spread the word nationwide through this. We had the opportunity to actually talk with the farmers, and we were very moved by the wonderfulness of each manual process we learned about there.
Many people might think of pickled plums (umeboshi) when they hear "Haruna's Plums," but various added values like plum juice and soap are being created.
We are very happy that people all over the country can learn about this through this opportunity.
* 'Ume Juice Hokyuchu' is a group of 6. One member was absent due to circumstances.
Ran Mizuguchi, Policy and Digital Promotion Division, Planning and Policy Department, Annaka City, Gunma Prefecture
We are very happy as a city that you have created such a wonderful work themed around Annaka City's green plums. We will also convey this to the businesses that produce the plums.
In hometown tax donations, green plums are a top-ranking popular reward item and are highly acclaimed by people nationwide. We will make efforts to connect the feelings of the six of you as we continue to PR Annaka City's plums nationwide.
We ask for your continued support for Annaka City.
At the venue, there were scenes of producers shedding tears after hearing the passion and episodes woven into the submitted works.