The Hokkaido city of Nemuro has been receiving a flood of donations from across the country after it started sending crab and other local seafood to repay the generosity of donors, who have given close to one-third of its tax revenue in the current fiscal year.

"We are surprised at the magnitude of the reaction" to the addition of seafood in June 2015 to the list of gift items people can select in return for making donations to Nemuro under the furusato nozei (hometown tax) donation system, said Yasuyuki Shiobara, 32, an official of the city's general policy division.

Before the addition, Nemuro had been sending bookmarks to donors, and donations had been dwindling in recent years.