On the first day of the September holidays, bathed in soft sunlight, the hometown tax donation event "Satoful Festival 2025" was held for the second year in a row at the outdoor seaside deck plaza of "Urban Dock LaLaport Toyosu," a large shopping mall in the Toyosu area of the Tokyo Bay Area that is popular with families.
"Satoful Festival 2025" venue entranceThe concept of the Satofuru Festival 2025 was "A place where people can discover the charm of their hometowns and have comfortable, deep connections with each other." The venue was a lively place where local governments from all over Japan set up booths, offering samples of local specialties and popular return gifts, as well as introducing services other than goods.
Additionally, promotional events featuring local government officials and local mascots on stages set up at the venue were also a big success, and the event was a visually appealing experience, with each region's booth attracting visitors not only with their taste buds but also with their food .
At the booth of Uda City, Nara Prefecture, Rika Matsui ( SERENGATE Inc. ), a freelance makeup artist active in fashion magazines and advertisements, was invited as a special guest to provide a makeup experience for women visiting the booth.
Matsui is a makeup artist from Nara Prefecture who works on the herbal cosmetics brand "SELALY." The event was a huge success, with many customers including children trying makeup for the first time and female customers curiously trying on cosmetics made with Uda's Yamato Tokiba leaf.
Yamato Angelica is an herb that has long been used to treat women's ailments, and its roots are highly prized as a medicinal herb. Like the roots, the leaves are also said to promote blood circulation and balance female hormones. (At the experience booth, we sampled the following cosmetics from SELALY.)
- Lumine Glow Mist Lotion with Yamato Angelica and Hyaluronic Acid
- Lumine Washing Foam, a facial cleanser containing Yamato Angelica and natural essential oils
- Lumine Gel Oil Cleansing with Yamato Angelica and Natural Essential Oils
- Lumine Cream Cleansing, Yamato Angelica and Natural Essential Oil Facial Cleansing Cream
- Lumine Serum Emulsion - Emulsion containing Yamato Angelica, hyaluronic acid, and natural essential oils
Other products on sale included " Yamato Haruna Beef Roast Beef ," made with A5 Wagyu beef and carefully selected ingredients and cooked to bring out the natural flavor of the meat, a popular gift in return for Uda City's hometown tax donations; " Yoshioka's Miwa Somen," which is thick and chewy and made by naturally drying and hand-stretching; " Farmer's Plenty of Vegetable Curry," a healthy vegetable curry filled with chunks of domestic vegetables made from powdered "Yamato Mana," a traditional Nara vegetable; and "Kiraku Karaku," a craft cola that tastes like Chinese medicine and is made with Yamato Angelica leaves and spices. The booth was bustling with customers savoring the treats.
At the Uda City booth, we offered the following tastings:
- Yamato Haruna beef roast beef
-Yu Ito Bee Farm Honey "Yellowfin"
-Hajimariya Carrot Juice
In addition to Uda City, 34 other municipalities across the country participated, including Asahikawa City, Hokkaido; Monbetsu City, Hokkaido; Fukagawa City, Hokkaido; Shari Town, Hokkaido; Toyoura Town, Hokkaido; Tsurui Village, Hokkaido; Ogo Town, Miyagi Prefecture; Shinjo City, Yamagata Prefecture; Kawanishi Town, Yamagata Prefecture; Inashiki City, Ibaraki Prefecture; Moka City, Tochigi Prefecture; Shimonita Town, Gunma Prefecture; Akiruno City, Tokyo; Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi Prefecture; Yamanashi City, Yamanashi Prefecture; Iijima Town, Nagano Prefecture; Iwata City, Shizuoka Prefecture; Kosai City, Shizuoka Prefecture; Anjo City, Aichi Prefecture; Kisosaki Town, Mie Prefecture; Izumisano City, Osaka Prefecture; Yabu City, Hyogo Prefecture; Uda City, Nara Prefecture; Tsuyama City, Okayama Prefecture; Nagato City, Yamaguchi Prefecture; Shodoshima Town, Kagawa Prefecture; Oki Town, Fukuoka Prefecture; Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture; Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture; Miyazaki City, Miyazaki Prefecture; Kanoya City, Kagoshima Prefecture; Makurazaki City, Kagoshima Prefecture; Yonabaru Town, Okinawa Prefecture; and Kumejima Town, Okinawa Prefecture.
With the point redemption system for hometown tax payments set to end at the end of September, there has been an increase in last-minute donations before the system is revised. We would like to ask those who have never made a hometown tax payment before, or who have a connection to Uda City, to take this opportunity to make a donation through the hometown tax payment page on our website .