Final Fantasy 14 players in Japan now have the opportunity to get in-game cosmetics and items by paying their real life taxes, as reported by Famitsu. These rewards include the online MMORPG’s Megashiba Mount.
Japan has a Hometown tax initiative (Furusato Nozei), which allows people to redirect portions of their residence tax to other areas of the country, even if they don’t live there. In return, you can choose a special gift from the region (everything from local snacks and traditional handcrafted items, to hotel stays and local cultural experiences). The scheme launched back in 2008 with the aim of directing tax funds back to rural, less-populated areas, but now almost every municipality in the country offers some kind of reward via the scheme. It’s a win-win as local governments receive more funds, while taxpayers receive presents in exchange for tax money they would have had to fork out anyway.
Best Mainline Final Fantasy Games
Best Mainline Final Fantasy Games
In recent years, some areas have started offering digital rewards. For example, last year Shibuya ward offered in-game currency in the popular mobile games Monster Strike and Kotodaman (as reported by Automaton).
Now, Shibuya ward and Square Enix have teamed up to offer rewards for the online MMORPG Final Fantasy 14. As the special site shows, players in Japan can choose between six different sets of in-game items and cosmetics to purchase with their residence tax. Namely, three costume sets priced at 7,000 yen (approx. $43) each: the Majitek Attire, Collegiate Attire (Skirt), and Collegiate Attire (Slacks) sets), four dance emotes for 11,000 yen (approx. $68), a set of five Phials of Fantasia for 17,000 yen (approx. $105), and the Megashiba Mount for 9,000 yen (approx. $56).
Final Fantasy 14 players outside Japan needn’t feel too left out though, as these items can be purchased from the Final Fantasy 14 online store.
Some of the Final Fantasy 14 rewards on offer sync up nicely with this area of Tokyo. The Megashiba mount is a giant, rideable dog. Shibuya is famous for Hachiko, a dog who loyally waited for his owner outside of Shibuya Station, even after his master passed away. There is a statue dedicated to the patient pup outside the station, and the true story has inspired a couple of movie adaptations, including Hachi: A Dog’s Tale, starring Richard Gere.
Although Hachiko was a different Japanese dog breed (an Akita rather than a Shiba Inu), it seems likely that Shibuya Ward and Square Enix decided to include the Megashiba Mount in the Hometown tax scheme as a reference to Shibuya’s famous dog. The Collegiate Attire Costumes also mesh well with Shibuya, as with its fashion stores, live music venues, cafes and night clubs it’s known as an area for youth culture.
Image credit: Square Enix.
Verity Townsend is a Japan-based freelance writer who previously served as editor, contributor and translator for the game news site Automaton West. She has also written about Japanese culture and movies for various publications.
