Donations to quake-hit towns in Hokkaido rise sharply in FY 2018 english.kyodonews.net

KYODO NEWS - 11 hours ago - 18:25 | All, JapanDonations to three towns in Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido, hit by a powerful earthquake last year, expanded sharply in fiscal 2018 under the government's "hometown tax" program, according to local governments.
The town of Abira also pulled in a record 605 million yen in donations, a jump of 1.6-times from the previous year, while donations to Mukawa more than doubled to around 109 million yen, the second-largest sum the town has received so far.
Though many people receive gifts produced locally in return for their donations under the program, 300 million yen given to Atsuma, 135 million yen to Abira and 55 million yen to Mukawa was donated without asking for any gifts.
The magnitude 6.7 quake that struck Hokkaido on Sept. 6 last year claimed a total of 44 lives and triggered a region-wide blackout.
"We appreciate support from all over the country through the hometown tax program," said an official of the Atsuma municipal government.