Expanding the e-Machi Platform: Tackling Local Issues with Digital Solutions
The e-Machi Platform, an initiative by Giftee Inc., has successfully expanded its reach to tackle various local challenges digital solutions across Japan. As of June 2025, the platform has been adopted by 212 municipalities and 217 projects, enhancing community resilience through technology. Launched in 2021, the e-Machi Platform provides a comprehensive approach to resolving regional issues, promoting local economies and sustainable living.
Over a recent six-month period, from April to June 2025, the e-Machi Platform was adopted by 27 municipalities for 17 projects aimed at revitalizing local economies. This includes a novel form of hometown tax called "Travel Destination Tax®," where citizens can enjoy local travel while contributing to the area’s economy. This initiative has begun in eight municipalities, utilizing digital gift vouchers, known as "e-Machi Gift®" as part of the return gifts for local taxes. Notably, Shinagawa City in Tokyo became the first in the capital to implement this new tax scheme.
The municipalities participating in this initiative include Nago City in Okinawa, Taketomi Town, Suwa City in Nagano, and several towns in the Oki Islands of Shimane Prefecture. The common return gifts for the Oki Islands region is the "e-Machi Gift®," fostering collaboration among local governments to enhance tourism and regional unity, making it one of the few cases in Japan of such cooperative municipal taxation efforts.
Moreover, the e-Machi Platform has also been integrated into childcare initiatives. The "Study Abroad at Nursery" concept enables some costs related to nursery education to be subsidized through travel destination tax returns, fostering quality early childhood education. This initiative will roll out in cities like Ome in Tokyo and Ueda in Nagano, showcasing how the platform can cater to educational needs within the community.
On June 25, 2025, the e-Machi Platform will be instrumental in the "Donate & Go®" program, allowing visitors to donate to local areas and receive experiential local gifts as part of a new initiative titled "KITAMI my Love" in Kitami City, Hokkaido. The electronic gift vouchers can be utilized across the participating regions, promoting local businesses and enhancing community engagement.
Through these efforts, the e-Machi Platform continues to support not only local commerce but also social welfare programs, with projects aimed at providing assistance to underprivileged residents affected by inflation and economic disparities. Numerous initiatives, including premium local shopping coupons and community support programs, have been developed in cities like Takatsuki in Osaka and Ishikari in Hokkaido to alleviate the economic pressures faced by citizens.
Furthermore, promotional projects aimed at boosting tourism have adopted the e-Machi Platform. The e-Machi Gift is now available as part of travel packages offered by JALPACK for visitors to the Amami Islands, ensuring tourists can seamlessly support local establishments while enjoying their travels. Similarly, the "Kyoto Restaurant Special 2025" initiative utilizes the e-Machi digital ticket services for dining experiences, merging gastronomy with technological advancement for tourists in the Kyoto region.
Giftee Inc. remains committed to further promoting the e-Machi Platform across other municipalities and regional business entities, thereby ensuring that its mission to connect people and communities through gifting continues to flourish. With a robust future ahead, the e-Machi Platform stands as a quintessential example of how digital integration can transform local governance and community engagement.
Over a recent six-month period, from April to June 2025, the e-Machi Platform was adopted by 27 municipalities for 17 projects aimed at revitalizing local economies. This includes a novel form of hometown tax called "Travel Destination Tax®," where citizens can enjoy local travel while contributing to the area’s economy. This initiative has begun in eight municipalities, utilizing digital gift vouchers, known as "e-Machi Gift®" as part of the return gifts for local taxes. Notably, Shinagawa City in Tokyo became the first in the capital to implement this new tax scheme.
The municipalities participating in this initiative include Nago City in Okinawa, Taketomi Town, Suwa City in Nagano, and several towns in the Oki Islands of Shimane Prefecture. The common return gifts for the Oki Islands region is the "e-Machi Gift®," fostering collaboration among local governments to enhance tourism and regional unity, making it one of the few cases in Japan of such cooperative municipal taxation efforts.
Moreover, the e-Machi Platform has also been integrated into childcare initiatives. The "Study Abroad at Nursery" concept enables some costs related to nursery education to be subsidized through travel destination tax returns, fostering quality early childhood education. This initiative will roll out in cities like Ome in Tokyo and Ueda in Nagano, showcasing how the platform can cater to educational needs within the community.
On June 25, 2025, the e-Machi Platform will be instrumental in the "Donate & Go®" program, allowing visitors to donate to local areas and receive experiential local gifts as part of a new initiative titled "KITAMI my Love" in Kitami City, Hokkaido. The electronic gift vouchers can be utilized across the participating regions, promoting local businesses and enhancing community engagement.
Through these efforts, the e-Machi Platform continues to support not only local commerce but also social welfare programs, with projects aimed at providing assistance to underprivileged residents affected by inflation and economic disparities. Numerous initiatives, including premium local shopping coupons and community support programs, have been developed in cities like Takatsuki in Osaka and Ishikari in Hokkaido to alleviate the economic pressures faced by citizens.
Furthermore, promotional projects aimed at boosting tourism have adopted the e-Machi Platform. The e-Machi Gift is now available as part of travel packages offered by JALPACK for visitors to the Amami Islands, ensuring tourists can seamlessly support local establishments while enjoying their travels. Similarly, the "Kyoto Restaurant Special 2025" initiative utilizes the e-Machi digital ticket services for dining experiences, merging gastronomy with technological advancement for tourists in the Kyoto region.
Giftee Inc. remains committed to further promoting the e-Machi Platform across other municipalities and regional business entities, thereby ensuring that its mission to connect people and communities through gifting continues to flourish. With a robust future ahead, the e-Machi Platform stands as a quintessential example of how digital integration can transform local governance and community engagement.
Topics Consumer Products & Retail）
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