Essentials dethrone treats in Furusato Nozei rankings

Fairly recently, City-Cost contributor samoona asked in the Q&A about people's favorite picks for their Furusato Nozei (hometown tax) gifts. It was a bit of a mixed bag of responses, with treats like usually high-priced fruits and meat through to daily essentials being mentioned. 

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It seems that overall, rising prices are pushing people to prioritize necessities over luxury items, as seen in the 2024 Furusato Nozei rankings mentioned via the Mainichi. For the first time, essential goods like toilet paper and tissues entered the top 10, displacing some of the program's more premium treats like Wagyu beef. Donations for toilet paper subscriptions surged 3.6 times in two years, with recipients seeming to value practicality with cost of living concerns continuing to grow.

I thought this was an interesting sign of the times and certainly something I think more and more people will be prioritizing if things continue on the same trajectory.