If you’re both an art enthusiast and a tax-paying resident of Japan, here’s an opportunity that sounds too good to pass up on: Takashi Murakami, the flower-headed giant of contemporary art we’re featuring at length in the latest issue of our magazine, has just released a new merchandise collection – including trading cards, stickers, prints and more – that’s presently available exclusively through Japan’s Furusato Nozei taxation programme.
The system, which allows taxpayers to allocate a portion of their income and resident taxes to municipalities throughout Japan in exchange for local gifts, is best known as a great source of high-quality eats and treats from across the archipelago. But the city of Kyoto, cultured as ever, is now expanding its list of offerings to include collectible art.
With Murakami’s much-anticipated “Mononoke Kyoto” exhibition set to open at the Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art on February 3 2024, the ancient capital’s local government has teamed up with the world-renowned artist to make available his all-new merchandise to out-of-town tax contributors.
The city is offering 11 different ‘plans’ covering payments from ¥10,000 to a whopping ¥1 billion. Contributions on the lower end of the scale will score you items such as stickers or a three-piece set of Takashi Murakami Mononoke Kyoto collectible trading cards, of which there are 12 in total. More cards will be made available for purchase later in 2024, but you won’t be able to get these 12 anywhere else.
More generous donors will be rewarded with ‘edition prints’ featuring Murakami’s Fujin and Raijin characters, signed by the artist himself. And the billion-yen prize? That’ll be a 2.5-metre-tall ‘Flower Parent and Child’ bronze statue (below), which we think should make an ideal addition to any art lover’s front yard.
Furusato Nozei payments for Kyoto’s Takashi Murakami collection can be made now through the Furusato Choice, Satofull, JRE Mall Furusato Nozei, Rakuten Furusato Nozei, ANA Furusato Nozei, au Pay Furusato Nozei, Furunavi, G-Call Furusato Nozei and Saison Furusato Nozei websites. Note that none of the sites offer service in English.
For more details on Kyoto's artsy tax scheme, see here (in Japanese only).
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