In September, when the afterglow of summer was still lingering, under clear blue skies following the passing of a typhoon, the " Amazon Hometown Festival," an event sponsored by Amazon that brought together local governments that make hometown tax donations, was held at the Canopy Square venue on the ground floor of Tokyo Midtown (Roppongi).
"Amazon Hometown Festival" venue entrance
During the event, 14 local governments from all over Japan gathered to showcase their specialties. Visitors were able to experience the appeal of hometown tax donations through tastings of local specialties, food and drink, introductions to local culture, and opportunities to meet new people.
At the entrance to Canopy Square, there was a participation attraction called "Smile Catcher," where participants had to jump to stop the light by perfectly timed with the prefecture of the selected exhibiting municipality, and it was crowded with families and couples participating. The timing was strict and it was not easy to succeed, but when children succeeded, the venue erupted in applause, creating a warm atmosphere.
In addition, participants were also seen holding "Hometown Crossword Puzzles," which involved filling in keywords hidden in the local specialties of each booth.
Uda City Booth, Nara Prefecture
At the Uda booth for "Good Things in Uda," staff from the Uda division of Farmers Forest Group Co., Ltd., who are involved in hometown tax donations, promoted the attractions of Uda over three days by offering samples of five popular items that are also used as gifts in return for hometown tax donations.
The following five products were available for tasting and sampling at the Uda booth at the Amazon Hometown Festival.
・Yoshioka's Miwa Somen: thick and chewy noodles made by natural drying and hand-stretching
・Kirakukaraku : A craft cola made with Yamato Angelica leaves and spices, just like traditional Chinese medicine
・A5 Wagyu beef " Yamato Haibara Beef Roast Beef " is made with carefully selected ingredients and cooked to bring out the original flavor of the meat.
・" Domestic Pure Honey Village Flowers " fills your mouth with the aroma of the various flowers blooming in Uda's Satoyama.
・" Chi-naru Syrup Yamato Toki x Ginger " is made with Yamato Toki leaves and ginger, and features a refreshing fragrance.
Both were a huge success, with many customers gathering at the tasting and sampling corner and picking up one product after another.
"Yoshioka's Miwa Somen"
" Yoshioka's Miwa Somen " are carefully made noodles that are aged for two days during the harsh winter months using a two-day, two-night cold-brewing method. Somen noodles are often associated with summer, but they are also perfect as a topping for soups, udon noodles, or as a finishing touch to hotpots, making them enjoyable all year round. Since the event was held in September, we served them in the standard style, with noodle soup, but the possibilities for somen are endless, so please try them in a variety of recipes.
"Kirakkara" (Kirakkara)
Kiraku Cola is a craft cola made with the luxurious Yamato Touki leaves, which are rich in vitamin E and minerals. Yamato Touki is a medicinal herb in the Apiaceae family, and its roots are used as a herbal medicine (traditional Chinese medicine), while its leaves are used in cooking and as a bath additive. You can enjoy it in any way you like, whether you mix it with alcohol, pour it over ice cream, or make a cola float.
Introducing the gifts at Uda Booth
The Yamato Harubara Beef Roast Beef was particularly popular at the venue, and samples were quickly sold out. Guests were seen cheering with smiles and exclamations of admiration over the A5-rank Yamato Harubara Beef roast beef.
This product has been certified as a specialty of Uda City, and is a supreme dish that is slowly cooked in our own kitchen, which is licensed as a meat product manufacturing business, making it an extremely popular gift in return.
Hometown Tax Donation Festival Held Under the Big Roof of Midtown
In addition to Uda City, 14 local governments across the country participating in the "A mazon Hometown Tax" program, which began in December 2024, also exhibited booths.
Booths from 14 local governments across the country (some of them)
The participating municipalities were Kamishihoro Town, Hokkaido; Betsukai Town, Hokkaido; Shiogama City, Miyagi Prefecture; Nagai City, Yamagata Prefecture; Ushiku City, Ibaraki Prefecture; Funabashi City, Chiba Prefecture; Nishiizu Town, Shizuoka Prefecture; Otsuki City, Yamanashi Prefecture; Fujikawaguchiko Town, Yamanashi Prefecture; Uda City, Nara Prefecture; Miyake Town, Nara Prefecture; Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture; Yame City, Fukuoka Prefecture; and Minakami Village, Kumamoto Prefecture. A corner of Tokyo Midtown was bustling with the sounds of participants having fun for three days.
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 .