Kyoto solicits donations from foreign tourists to protect tradition in Japan 1st

KYOTO — Japan’s ancient capital on Sept. 11 launched the nation’s first initiative to solicit donations from the rapidly increasing number of foreign visitors to protect tradition in the city. In return, donors will receive electronic gift certificates that can be used at restaurants and other places in Kyoto.

Donations to the “Donate & Go” system can be made via smartphone and credit card. The Kyoto Municipal Government will receive half of the donation amount, which will be used for efforts to conserve traditional landscapes and projects supporting traditional industries.

The city created the program with Tokyo-based IT venture Giftee Inc., which has offered domestic residents a similar service for vacation destinations using Japan’s “hometown tax” donation system, which allows people to give money to a municipality of their choice in exchange for resident tax deductions plus, in many cases, a locally sourced gift from that municipality.

To expand “Donate & Go” nationwide, Kyoto has also established a consortium on Sept. 11 with Giftee and other organizations including Osaka Gas Co., which handles the clerical side of the system for member stores, and Japan Airlines Co., which oversees marketing for the project.

Kyoto began to focus on attracting hometown tax donations in fiscal 2020. The city pulled in 10 billion yen (roughly $70 million) from this in fiscal 2023. However, in the same fiscal year it managed to collect just 170,000 yen (approx. $1,200) in donations from foreign visitors through pleas carried solely on its website, highlighting the lack of publicity for the effort.

“Donate & Go” donations range from 1,000 yen to 1 million yen (about $70 to $7,000), and the electronic gift certificate given in return is half of the donation amount. Although there are no tax deductions, Giftee explained, “The initiative encourages people to understand how the money is used and consider participation in the community as a value.”

A Kyoto official said, “With overtourism becoming an issue, we would like to change the relationship with tourists by letting them contribute to the area — a tourism experience that is unconventional.”

(Japanese original by Yoko Minami, Kyoto Bureau)