Choshi City, Chiba Prefecture Wins Rakuten Shop of the Month (Monthly MVP) Furusato Nozei Award

Choshi City, Chiba Prefecture, for which Punctual Inc. (Headquarters: Susaki City, Kochi Prefecture; Representative Director: Ken Moritoki; hereinafter 'Punctual') manages furusato nozei (hometown tax donation) operations, has won the Furusato Nozei Award for April 2026 in the 'Rakuten Shop of the Month' program on the shopping site 'Rakuten Ichiba'. This is the city's first time winning this award. Punctual will continue its efforts to make Choshi City 'a town loved by everyone.'

https://event.rakuten.co.jp/somshop/2026/0526/index.html?scid=wi_ich_ichibaapp_weburl_share

Located in northeastern Chiba Prefecture, Choshi City is a 'fishery city' boasting one of the largest fish hauls in Japan. In an effort to deliver the bounty of the sea to people nationwide, the city enhanced its selection of seafood products, resulting in significant popularity for items like salmon and mackerel. As its appeal became more widely known, the number of its return gifts ranking in the overall Rakuten Ichiba rankings increased. Donations to Choshi City (on a settlement basis) have been increasing year by year: 700 million yen in FY2023 (239% year-on-year), 2.65 billion yen in FY2024 (376.5% year-on-year), and 7 billion yen in FY2025 (265% year-on-year).

Reina Fujigasaki, Manager of the Punctual Choshi Office, commented, 'This award is thanks to the support and cooperation of our donors, producers, and business partners. We will continue to share the region's appeal nationwide and work to build fans through furusato nozei.'

About 'Rakuten Shop of the Month'

This award is selected from among the 50,000 shops on Rakuten Ichiba based on customer evaluations and is equivalent to a 'Monthly MVP.' Categories include 'Genre Awards' by product type, 'Prefectural Awards,' and the 'Strongest Next-Day Delivery Award.'

About Punctual Inc.

With the mission of 'Creating regions that can compete globally,' Punctual provides support to local governments to achieve true regional revitalization through furusato nozei management, e-commerce business, and community development. By living in the municipalities it supports, becoming part of the community, and offering solutions to local challenges, the company contributes to regional development with extensive experience and know-how.

Company Overview

Company Name: Punctual Inc.

Representative: Ken Moritoki, Representative Director

Established: March 2020

Location: 1-12 Midorimachi, Susaki City, Kochi Prefecture

Business: Local character management, EC business, PR business, Furusato Nozei management business

URL: https://punctual.co.jp/