Matsue City has announced the launch of a crowdfunding-style hometown tax donation program designed to strengthen support for entrepreneurs. The initiative will direct contributions toward prototype development, the operation of the entrepreneur community MIX, and the delivery of startup support programs. The city says the project will help turn entrepreneurial ambitions into tangible services and products.
How Donations Will Be Used
Donated funds will support the first steps toward service implementation by financing prototype production for entrepreneurs. Contributions will also sustain MIX, a community designed for founders, and help operate entrepreneurship programs. According to the city, this structure is intended to accelerate the path from early business concepts to social implementation.
Building on the 2025 Development Support Fund
During the 2025 fiscal year, Matsue City used donations from a previous crowdfunding-style hometown tax campaign to create a development support fund. That fund assists entrepreneurs with prototype development and activities aimed at social implementation. The current campaign therefore builds on an established support model rather than introducing an entirely new mechanism.
Eligible Activities and Support Areas
The development support fund focuses on prototype development and activities that prepare new services for social implementation. Entrepreneurs can use the funding to test product concepts, refine design, and validate feasibility before full market entry. The city expects this support to reduce early-stage risk and encourage more people to launch ventures in Matsue.
Campaign Details and Platform
The project is titled Aiming for a Matsue Full of Entrepreneurial Challenges. The campaign seeks to raise ¥2 million and will run from October 3, 2026, to December 31, 2026. Donations will be accepted through the Furusato Choice hometown tax platform, and the official project page is available at https://www.furusato-tax.jp/gcf/5919.
What Crowdfunding-Style Hometown Tax Means
Under a crowdfunding-style hometown tax program, a municipality acts as the project owner and raises funds through the hometown tax system. Contributors can choose a specific local initiative rather than making a general donation. Matsue City uses this model to solve regional challenges by directly linking donor support to entrepreneurship-related activities.
The MATSUE Entrepreneurship Ecosystem
The campaign is part of the MATSUE Entrepreneurship Ecosystem, which connects startup support, new business development, management assistance, and entrepreneurship education. The ecosystem uses an all-Matsue approach to encourage local people taking on new challenges within the city. It is coordinated by a consortium formally established on January 31, 2023.
Regional Collaboration in Practice
The ecosystem works by aligning the efforts of local government, industry, academia, and finance within Matsue. These actors share information and coordinate programs to support entrepreneurs at different stages of new business growth. The city serves as the secretariat, ensuring that public resources and private sector expertise are connected in effective ways.
Consortium Leadership and Membership
The consortium is chaired by Matsue City Mayor Akihito Uesada, with the Matsue Chamber of Commerce and Industry serving as vice chair. Incubate Fund Representative Partner Toru Akaura acts as advisor. Members include local chambers of commerce, Shimane University, Shimane Prefectural University, Matsue College of Technology, the Development Bank of Japan, Sanin Godo Bank, the Shimane Bank, Shimane Prefecture, and city and prefectural boards of education.
The new campaign reinforces Matsue City's commitment to building an environment where startup challenges can grow. By combining hometown tax donations with local institutional support, the city expects to expand practical opportunities for founders. Donors and residents can participate in shaping the next generation of Matsue-based businesses through this dedicated initiative.