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Exploring 'Traveling Japanese Wine' Feature

On June 16, 2025, Trust Bank, known for running Japan's largest comprehensive hometown tax site, Furusato Choice, launched a special feature page entitled 'Traveling Japanese Wine' that highlights 12 wineries across the nation. This initiative aims to convey the charm of Japanese wine while connecting donors with local communities through the gift of hometown tax contributions.

The feature not only showcases diverse wine offerings, including over 30 unique gifts, but also introduces limited-edition wines created to support disaster recovery efforts and experience-based gifts that allow donors to engage with these wineries directly. The initiative promotes a new and enjoyable way of participating in hometown tax contributions through the lens of regional wine production.

The Essence of Japanese Wine

The focus of this feature is on 'A Special Glass Connecting to the Community.' It brings together a variety of Japanese wines crafted in 12 distinctive wineries, each with its unique local terroir and challenges. Japanese wine refers to wine made from grapes harvested and produced entirely in Japan. Featured here are some of the country's oldest and most renowned wineries, showcasing the rich diversity of the Japanese wine industry. Over 30 gifts will be available on this page, with some being exclusive to Furusato Choice.

Among the exclusive items, special wine sets aimed at supporting recovery from disasters and rare debut wines can be found. For instance, SAYS FARM in Himi City, Toyama Prefecture, has a wine set that contributes funds towards disaster recovery support, while Kumamoto Prefecture's Kikuka Winery offers a barrel-aged Chardonnay and Merlot that are being made available for the first time through hometown tax contributions. Each of these selections embodies the values of the producers and the distinctive characteristics of their regions. Additionally, experience-based gifts that allow for winery visits and personal interactions are also part of the offerings.

Purpose and Goals Behind the Feature

Wineries participating in this project have committed to cultivating grape varieties appropriate to their regions, thus maximizing the qualities of their local terroir to create unique wines. The purpose of this feature is to broadly communicate the specific local endeavors and challenges faced by these wineries, thereby promoting regional characteristics and stimulating the Japanese wine market.

Some municipalities involved face challenges such as population declines, industry contraction, and decreased tourism demand. Through hometown tax contributions, we aim to create new connections between urban donors and these communities, thus helping to revitalize local economies and expand relations with donors.

Future Developments

Moving forward, Furusato Choice plans to introduce experience-based gifts that enable donors to visit wine-producing regions and engage with the work of local wineries. This initiative also includes events where donors can meet wine makers in person. The goal is to continually nurture a community of Japanese wine enthusiasts while also contributing to the revitalization of local tourism.

Furusato Choice remains committed to supporting regional producers through personalized gift selections that highlight local uniqueness and contribute to the development of sustainable local communities.

Overview of the 'Traveling Japanese Wine' Feature

• - Feature Launch Date: June 16, 2025
• - Number of Participating Wineries: 12 Nationwide
• - Number of Featured Gifts: Over 30 (as of June 16, 2025)
• - Feature Page URL: Traveling Japanese Wine

Example Gifts

1. Recovery Support: SAYS FARM Full Course Ticket + ROSE2024 (Pre-order)
- Winery: SAYS FARM (Himi City, Toyama Prefecture)
- Donation Amount: ¥156,000

2. Limited Choice: Kikuka Barrel-Aged Chardonnay & Merlot Set
- Winery: Kikuka Winery (Yamaga City, Kumamoto Prefecture)
- Donation Amount: ¥36,000

3. Limited Choice: Yamazaki Wine PINOT GRIS (1 White Bottle, 750ml)
- Winery: Yamazaki Winery (Mikasa City, Hokkaido)
- Donation Amount: ¥20,000

About Trust Bank

Founded in April 2012, Trust Bank has made it its vision to create sustainable, self-reliant local communities. The company launched Japan’s first comprehensive hometown tax site, Furusato Choice, which has since grown to include over 1,700 municipalities across 95% of Japan and features more than 760,000 gifts as of October 2024. Trust Bank has continued to innovate, including entering into related businesses to promote social and economic initiatives across Japan, providing communities with the tools they need to thrive.