Since its inception in 2008, the tax donation program known as furusato nōzei has seen steady growth in contributions from taxpayers, who are enticed by gifts and tax deductions.
But until recently, foreign residents had difficulty taking advantage of the program due to a lack of information in languages other than Japanese.
Believing that furusato nōzei would be popular with non-Japanese taxpayers if it were more accessible, a Tokyo-based startup has launched what it claims to be the first multilingual website that enables non-Japanese taxpayers to make donations on Wednesday. Called Furusato Japan, the site is available in English, with other languages to be added in the future.