CCC and Furusato Choice launch "Art for Hometown," a cultural investment-type hometown tax donation project connecting local communities with art.

2026.03.23 Press Releases
Culture Convenience Club Co., Ltd. / Trustbank Co., Ltd.

—CCC Art Lab curates and exclusively exhibits works by 9 artists, shifting donations from "consumption" to "cultural investment," creating a new way of preserving local culture and providing a new donation experience—

Culture Convenience Club Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, President and CEO: Takanori Takahashi, hereinafter "CCC") and Trust Bank Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo, President and CEO: Jun Oi, hereinafter "Trust Bank"), which plans and operates "Furusato Choice," one of the largest comprehensive hometown tax donation websites in Japan, will launch "ART 4 HOMETOWN," a project that connects local communities, artists, and donors through culture and art, starting on Monday, March 23rd.

This project aims to expand connections between the region, artists, and donors by offering art pieces by artists with ties to the region as return gifts for hometown tax donations through "Furusato Choice," thereby providing donors with a new option to support local culture.

Growing interest in "culture" and "empathy" in hometown tax donations.

Currently, the Furusato Nozei (hometown tax donation) system mainly consists of "consumable" return gifts such as food and daily necessities, and is widely used as a mechanism to support local regions through local specialties. On the other hand, the options for return gifts that deeply convey the local culture, history, and values, centered on fields such as culture and art, remain limited.
Culture and art are also ways of expressing the unique history and values of a region. In recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on the importance of connections with local communities and social significance through donations, and the trend of choosing donation recipients not only based on perceived value but also on shared values and empathy is gradually expanding.

The option of donating to support culture and the arts.

This project aims to present a new form of donation that connects local culture and art to the future by delivering artwork by local artists as a thank-you gift to donors. Through donations, we offer a new option for supporting local culture.
In the first phase, nine artists who are participating in the Furusato Nozei (hometown tax donation) initiative for the first time will collaborate with nine municipalities to release a total of 25 works as return gifts. Under the curation of CCC Art Lab, we will be showcasing works by artists who resonate with the spirit of this project, exclusively on "Furusato Choice."

The role of curation at CCC Art Lab

CCC is a company that creates cultural infrastructure. With the mission of "[creating enriching experiences]", we have been deeply involved in the cultural field and, as a planning company that proposes lifestyles, we have been close to the lives of each and every customer and have created rich experiences. CCC Art Lab aims to enrich people's lives and make society a better place, and its philosophy is "Life with Art."To achieve this, we are developing a wide range of art-related businesses while building long-standing relationships of trust with artists and galleries.
By having CCC Art Lab handle the curation, it has become possible to carefully design relationships with the local community while respecting the artists and their artworks.

Significance for both artists and local governments

For artists, this presents a new opportunity to engage with the community and share their artistic expression through their work. Furthermore, by engaging with the local community in ways different from presentations in exhibition spaces, these activities can also contribute to the local community.
For local governments, this expands their options for promoting their region, focusing not only on local specialties but also on "culture and art."By conveying the activities of artists with ties to the region and the cultural context and values embodied in their artworks, it becomes possible to disseminate information about the region in a more multifaceted way.

Going forward, both companies will deepen their collaboration and continue to expand this project, which connects art, local communities, and donors.

[Overview of the "Art for Hometown" Project]

• Name: ART 4 HOMETOWN
・Start date: March 23, 2026 (Monday)
URL:https://www.furusato-tax.jp/feature/a/art4hometown
・Contents:
- Under the curation of CCC Art Lab, art pieces will be offered as thank-you gifts.
- Messages from the artists are included.

* The thank-you gifts will be posted sequentially starting March 23rd (Monday).

■Message from the first featured artist:

To mark the launch of this project, we received messages from the nine participating artists.

* Artists are listed in alphabetical order, titles omitted.

・Ayaka Tabala (Mashiko-machi, Haga-gun, Tochigi Prefecture)
Mashiko Town is rich in nature, with various birds singing in each season. I receive a gentle energy from the warmth of the residents. I feel every day that my creative activities are able to continue healthily precisely because I live in this town. I would be happy if this initiative could be a way of giving back to Mashiko Town.

- Fumika Anayama (Seto City, Aichi Prefecture)
Seto City in Aichi Prefecture is a center for pottery production and a town of craftsmanship. The town has a warmth that comes from being supported by skilled craftsmen, and the people are generous and tolerant. That's why I've been able to put down roots in this place and continue creating art. I hope that through my artwork featuring the historic Maneki-neko (beckoning cat) of Seto, I can give back to the city of Seto in my own way.

・Yujiro Ueno (Tsuchiura City, Ibaraki Prefecture)
I have a studio in Tsuchiura City where I work on my art. Located at a comfortable distance from Tokyo, it offers a calm and focused environment where I can comfortably dedicate myself to my creative work. Furthermore, being able to feel close to nature, such as Lake Kasumigaura, provides a nice break and sparks new ideas in my daily life. We hope that this initiative will contribute in some small way to the promotion of culture.

・Yuta Okuda (Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture)
Currently, I have a home in Mizonokuchi, an art studio in Musashi-Shinjo, and I'm raising my two children in Kawasaki. Kawasaki has become my second home, and it's also the home for my children. I have a strong desire to make this community a little better. I sincerely hope that through art activities, we can contribute to building a better future for children.

・Yuji Danjo (Ozu City, Ehime Prefecture)
Your support through this project will not only serve as tax payment but will also contribute to the development of Ozu City. Furthermore, Ozu City boasts both natural beauty and a rich historical castle town culture. Through art, we hope to foster a cycle of connection between people, nature, and culture, between the past and the future, and pass on something unique to Ozu City to future generations.

・Yuki Matsuoka (Kameoka City, Kyoto Prefecture)
My hometown, Kameoka City, has nurtured its people, crops, and culture amidst the rich cycle of nature. In recent years, urban development projects have been underway, including art festivals, that foster relationships between artists and citizens from the perspective of "creating and living."Kameoka City, where art and daily life are intertwined, is the starting point of my creative work, and I am delighted to be able to contribute to the future of art and culture through my art.

・Yoshiko Masumoto (Koka City, Shiga Prefecture)
It's been over 10 years since I started creating art in Shigaraki Town. Thanks to the people in the production area who are always ready to help whenever I have any questions about the clay, glaze, or firing process, the range of my work has expanded significantly. I hope to continue creating new works in this place where time flows at a leisurely pace.

・Yu Seto (Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture)
I have been based in Tokyo for about 10 years, but from 2026 I will be moving back to my hometown of Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture. Just as I was thinking about working towards local community development, we are pleased to announce that our products will now be available on Furusato Choice. I am very happy.

・Nao Hara (Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture)
Having originally lived in Kyoto, since moving to Kamakura, I've come to feel a renewed sense of direction, topography, and purification in the everyday actions of life. In this land, nestled between mountains and opening up to the sea, even auspicious foods, rituals, and works of art quietly influence our sensibilities before we even consciously realize it. I hope that encountering this work will serve as an opportunity to gently awaken the traditional sensibilities that lie dormant deep within us, cultivated in Kyoto and layered with the sea and mountains of Kamakura.

Culture Convenience Club Co., Ltd.
CCC is a company that creates cultural infrastructure. With the mission of "[insert mission statement here]", we plan and develop various online services and new platform services in addition to platform businesses, database marketing businesses, and businesses related to public services and community coexistence, and propose new lifestyles through our platforms.
https://www.ccc.co.jp/

■ Trustbank Co., Ltd.
The vision is "to create self-reliant and sustainable communities."Founded in April 2012, the company launched "Furusato Choice," Japan's first comprehensive website for hometown tax donations, in September of the same year. The site has grown into one of the largest hometown tax donation websites in Japan, with over 1,700 municipalities (approximately 95% of the entire country) accepting applications (as of October 2024) and over 760,000 thank-you gifts (as of October 2024). In September 2019, we released "LoGo Chat," a business chat application service for local governments, and in March 2020, we released "LoGo Form," a no-code electronic application tool. In addition, they are developing local currency projects to promote the circulation of the local economy, and projects to support local social businesses using dormant deposits and other sources of funding.
https://www.trustbank.co.jp/

■Inquiries regarding this matter
Culture Convenience Club Co., Ltd.
Public Relations Department
TEL: 045-522-8154／MAIL: inquiry@ccc.co.jp

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