iMobile has begun accepting donations on the “Furunavi” hometown tax donation website for a crowdfunding project in Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture, titled “Project to Support the Restoration of Nippon Paper’s Yatsushiro Plant: Carrying the 100 Years We’ve Walked Together Into the Next 100 Years.”
The paper industry in Yatsushiro City began in 1898 and has developed by leveraging local water resources, forest resources, and water transportation along the Kuma River. Nippon Paper’s Yatsushiro Mill will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2024. In addition to supporting local employment and livelihoods for many years, the mill has collaborated with a wide range of industries—including affiliated companies, logistics, and equipment maintenance—and has become a vital pillar of the local economy.
However, the factory sustained significant damage in the Reiwa 8 Kumamoto Earthquake, and its iconic chimney collapsed. Consequently, the community has decided that it is now time for the community to support the factory—which has long been a pillar of the region—and will launch a crowdfunding campaign utilizing the “hometown tax” program.
Through the restoration of the factory, this initiative aims to safeguard the future of Yatsushiro’s industry and community and carry on the history of paper manufacturing—which dates back to the Meiji era—into the next 100 years. Donations to this project will be used to restore damaged facilities and equipment, implement safety measures necessary for resuming operations, and make improvements to prepare for future disasters.
© Source travel watch