Shibuya Ward adds in-game currency to its hometown tax payment, including “Monster Strike,

Shibuya Ward in Tokyo announced on the 25th that it has added in-game currency from popular smartphone games, including “Monster Strike,” as a return gift for hometown tax donations. This initiative is in collaboration with MIZI, the major IT company responsible for developing these games, which has its headquarters in the ward. The ward hopes this will help promote its appeal in the entertainment sector.

“Monster Strike” is a game where players flick characters to defeat enemies. As of May this year, it had around 64 million users worldwide. Shibuya Ward is offering “orbs,” used in the game for character acquisitions, as return gifts: 50 orbs for a 10,000 yen donation, 150 orbs for 30,000 yen, and 250 orbs for 50,000 yen. Additionally, in-game currency for another of their smartphone games, “Kotodaman,” has been included as a return gift.

A ward representative stated, “We will continue to work on developing and providing attractive return gifts in the future.”