#Trust Bank #Hometown Tax #Mutsu City

Trust Bank's Disaster Relief Initiative for Mutsu City, Aomori

On December 17, Trust Bank, a prominent player in Japan's hometown tax donation services, officially launched a new disaster relief initiative aimed at supporting Mutsu City in Aomori Prefecture, which has been severely affected by the recent Eastern Aomori Earthquake. This initiative is part of their larger program called "Hometown Choice Disaster Support".

The disaster support program allows municipalities that have not been directly affected by the disaster to collect donations intended for recovery efforts on behalf of the affected area. In this instance, three municipalities—Inashi City in Nagano Prefecture, Kamiyama City in Yamagata Prefecture, and Rishiri Town in Hokkaido—will act as intermediaries, enabling them to accept donations for Mutsu City.

The disaster relief mechanism is designed to ease the administrative burden on the affected municipalities by allowing them to focus on immediate recovery operations while still receiving critical financial aid. Contributions made through the designated "Emergency Donation Application Form" will be forwarded to the Mutsu City government, ensuring that funds are utilized for recovery purposes.

The initiative also emphasizes the nature of these donations: as they are designated for disaster relief, donors will not receive tangible return gifts from the municipalities, a common practice in other hometown tax donation scenarios. Furthermore, Trust Bank will not charge any service fees for the use of this donation platform.

As of now, the disaster relief initiative underscores the growing necessity of community support in times of crisis. It is important for donors to stay informed about the program, as there may be future expansions in the number of municipalities participating in this donation effort. Updates can be found on the official Hometown Choice Disaster Support website.

Overview of the December 2023 Eastern Aomori Earthquake

• - Date of Launch: December 17, 2023
• - Participating Municipalities: Mutsu City (Aomori) represented by Inashi City (Nagano), Kamiyama City (Yamagata), and Rishiri Town (Hokkaido)
• - Website: Hometown Choice Disaster Support

Background of Hometown Choice Disaster Support

Established in September 2014, the Hometown Choice Disaster Support platform utilizes the hometown tax donation system to raise funds for municipalities affected by disasters. Trust Bank provides this service without any contractual obligations, ensuring that all municipalities across Japan can participate freely.
The platform has proven successful in previous disasters, amassing significant sums for recovery efforts, including approximately ¥19 billion for the Kumamoto Earthquake in 2016 and over ¥20 billion for the Noto Peninsula Earthquake.

Trust Bank, founded in April 2012 and headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo, has set its vision on creating sustainable and self-sufficient communities. The company has expanded its reach significantly, offering more than 1700 municipalities and over 760,000 gifts available through its hometown tax service, making it the largest platform of its kind in Japan. Trust Bank continues to innovate, recently launching tools like the