The authorities of the Shibuya district in Tokyo have decided to encourage Japanese gamers to pay taxes in their jurisdiction. To achieve this, the local government struck a deal with Square Enix.
Final Fantasy XIV
The company agreed to make some in-game items from Final Fantasy XIV part of the Furusato Nozei (ふるさと納税) tax program. Under this program, Japanese citizens voluntarily allocate a portion of their taxes to municipalities of their choice in exchange for gifts—often locally produced products. Those who allocate their taxes to Shibuya's authorities this year can choose rewards such as in-game skins, a set of dance emotes, potions for changing character appearances, and a dog mount, among other things.
As Square Enix mentioned in a statement to the media, they are actively involved in Shibuya's community life and have often organized special events for the residents of this Tokyo district, but these were not previously related to taxes.
It is worth noting that this is not the first time Shibuya's authorities have incorporated video games into the Furusato Nozei program. Last year, they gifted in-game currency for Monster Strike and Kotodaman as part of the program.