Trust Bank Co., Ltd.
Wakayama Prefecture’s Nachi-Katsuura Town and Furusato Choice have launched a project aimed at revitalizing the fisheries industry through Nachi-Katsuura Town’s specialty “raw tuna” through government crowdfunding (R) utilizing the hometown tax payment system.
~ Japan’s best-caught “raw tuna” and General Incorporated Association ChefooDo collaborate to revitalize the fishing industry ~
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Plans and operates Furusato Choice (https://www.furusato-tax.jp/), one of the largest hometown tax comprehensive websites in Japan, with Nachikatsuura Town, Wakayama Prefecture (Mayor: Junichiro Hori, hereinafter referred to as “Nachikatsuura Town”). , Trust Bank Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director: Kenichi Kawamura, hereinafter referred to as “Trust Bank”) will be collecting donations through crowdfunding through the hometown tax payment system provided by Trust Bank today, August 5th. Using the mechanism “Government Crowdfunding (R)” (hereinafter referred to as “GCF (R)”), we will begin a project aimed at revitalizing the fishing industry through Nachikatsuura Town’s specialty “raw tuna.” The recruitment period is from August 5th to October 30th, 2024, and the target donation amount is 3 million yen.
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Background to soliciting donations at GCF(R)
Nachikatsuura Town is a “raw tuna” town that boasts the largest amount of fresh tuna landed in Japan using the longline fishing method. Located in the southeast of Wakayama Prefecture, the southernmost tip of Honshu, the coast has a good natural fishing ground formed by the main and branch streams of the Kuroshio Current, and has flourished as a tuna landing base since ancient times. Longline vessels from all over Japan, including Kochi, Miyazaki, Okinawa, and Oita, visit Katsuura Fishing Port for reasons such as freshness and price, and about 50 brokers auction off all their tuna. Market prices have been supported by the sales channels that each broker has cultivated over a long history, and this has led to Katsuura Fishing Port being No. 1 in terms of raw tuna catches in Japan.
However, the fishing industry in Nachi-Katsuura Town is currently facing a difficult situation due to aging fishing port facilities, rising prices, and a shortage of workers due to the aging population. In order to solve these issues and revitalize the fishing industry in Nachikatsuura Town, we have set out the philosophy of “bringing the vitality of private companies to local governments. Bringing the charm of local areas to private companies,” and we have been working with the Cabinet Office and others. A “raw tuna” tasting event for member chefs of the general incorporated association ChefooDo and a food education event for elementary school students were produced by the Public-Private Partnership Promotion Organization, which was established in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. We planned to hold the event. ChefooDo, a general
incorporated association, organizes chefs who are particular about Japanese ingredients and Japanese food culture, and utilizes the knowledge, wisdom, and techniques they have accumulated to further revitalize Japanese food culture and the food industry. This is an organization that continues to work for the purpose of
Through this tasting event, Nachi-Katsuura Town hopes that the famous restaurants in Tokyo that are staffed by chefs who are members of ChefooDo, a general incorporated association, will continue to carry Nachi-Katsuura Town’s “raw tuna.” We also hope to convey the appeal of Nachikatsuura Town to younger generations through food education events for elementary school students. Nachikatsuura Town wants as many people as possible to know the deliciousness of raw tuna, which is never frozen or thawed after being caught, and will continue to utilize its strengths centered on raw tuna. In order to revitalize the fishing industry and aim to create a lively town, GCF(R) is currently soliciting support.
How to use donations
The proceeds will be used to cover the costs of holding a “raw tuna” tasting event for member chefs of the general incorporated association ChefooDo and a food education event for elementary school students, as well as the cost of “raw tuna” awareness activities.
Comment from Junichiro Hori, Mayor of Nachikatsuura Town
“The Mt. Nachi area in Nachi-Katsuura Town is home to the Kumano Pilgrimage Route (Kumano Kodo), which has been compared to the ants’ pilgrimage to Kumano since ancient times, and is crowded with many pilgrims. The Katsuura Fishing Port in Honmachi boasts the largest volume of fresh tuna landed in Japan using the longline fishing method, which is considered to be environmentally friendly. Kishu Katsuura raw tuna is carefully preserved and is proud of its freshness.In this way, Nachi-Katsuura Town has created a lively town with the slogan “World Heritage Site, Hot Springs, Raw Tuna”. We are confident that this GCF(R) project will lead to further revitalization of Honmachi’s fisheries industry, centered on raw tuna.”
Crowdfunding (R) using hometown tax donations that empathize with the usage GCF(R) is a hometown tax crowdfunding campaign that collects donations based on how they will be used. Local governments widely disseminate local issues and solutions, gain sympathy, and collect donations. This gives donors an opportunity to learn about local issues and allows them to choose a more specific way to use their donations. Donations are made out of support for the project, which leads to continued interest in the community.
It is also expected to have the effect of creating local fans and increasing the number of local relationships and exchanges.
GCF(R) is a system provided by Trust Bank in September 2013. The number of projects and the number of local governments using the program are increasing year by year, and as of April 2024, the total amount of donations has exceeded 17.6 billion yen and approximately 2,660 projects have been implemented.
*Government Crowdfunding (R) and GCF (R) are registered trademarks of Trust Bank Co., Ltd.
□■ Project overview ■□
◆Project name: Expansion project for restaurants serving “raw tuna” from Katsuura, Kishu
◆Donation reception site: Furusato Choice “Government Crowdfunding (R)” (operated by Trust Bank Co., Ltd.)
◆Target amount: 3 million yen
◆Recruitment period: August 5, 2024 to October 30, 2024 (87 days) ◆How the donation will be used: Used for the cost of holding a “raw tuna” tasting event for chefs who are members of ChefooDo, a general incorporated association, and a food education event for elementary school students, and for “raw tuna” awareness activities.
◆Project URL: https://www.furusato-tax.jp/gcf/3198
*The recruitment period may be extended.
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Nachikatsuura Town, Wakayama Prefecture
(https://www.town.nachikatsuura.wakayama.jp/)
Nachi-Katsuura Town was created in April 1955 by the merger of four towns and villages: Nachi Town, a town in front of Mt. Nachi, Katsuura Town, a hot spring and fishing town, and Ukui Village and Irokawa Village. Later, in January 1960, Shimosato Town and Ota Village were added, giving it its current appearance. Located at the southeastern tip of the Kii Peninsula, it is a town with a mild climate, scenic beauty, and magnificent nature, full of warmth, abundance, and deep humanity.
What is Government Crowdfunding(R) (GCF(R))?
A crowdfunding-type mechanism for collecting hometown tax donations provided by Trust Bank in September 2013. Local government
Become a project owner and raise funds widely by presenting specific solutions to local issues, the amount of donations needed, how they will be used, and the period for collecting donations. Donors can choose how their donations will be used. Received the 2019 Good Design Award.
*“Furusato Choice Government Crowdfunding (R)” site:
https://www.furusato-tax.jp/gcf/
Trust Bank Co., Ltd. (https://www.trustbank.co.jp/)
The vision is “creating an independent and sustainable region.” Founded in April 2012, we launched Japan’s first comprehensive hometown tax donation website, Furusato Choice, in September of the same year. The site has grown to become one of the largest hometown tax donation sites in Japan, with over 1,700 local governments (as of March 2014), approximately 95% of the total, and the number of thank-you items available over 570,000 (as of March 2014). In November 2018, we formed a group with Change Co., Ltd. (currently Change Holdings Co., Ltd.) on the TSE Prime Market and entered the public tech business. In September 2019, we released “LoGo Chat”, a business chat for local governments, and in March 2020, we released “LoGo Form”, a no-code electronic application tool. In October 2013, we launched the e-commerce site “Meibutsu Choice,” which sells local Meibutsu. In addition, we are developing a local currency business that promotes local economic circulation, and an energy business that promotes local production and local consumption of renewable energy. *No. 1 in number of local governments that can apply, No. 1 in number of thank you items posted (as of September 2023, JMRO research)
This article has been partially generated with the assistance of AI.