Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Could this work in America? Look what Japan is doing.

There is the most amazing story in The Economist this week. It seems that the urban Japanese have very fond feelings for their rural countryside and so they tax themselves to help out some of their favorite small communities. The program is wildly successful, and the Japanese, who are known for their gift giving, are returning the taxes paid in locally produced farm and food gifts back to those who bestowed them with money. 

Lord knows we have problems with the decline and depopulation of our rural areas in the U.S. and many other places. Is this a program that we should try? 

See: Japan’s rural regions - Hometown dues: Struggling parts of the countryside have found a novel way to attract money