Fulfilling tax obligations is usually one of the most boring and painful activities of the year, unless you live in the land of the rising sun. The urban district of Toshima, right in the heart of Tokyo, continues to show why it’s the epicenter of otaku culture by maintaining its unusual incentive program where citizens can deduct their taxes and receive in return a complete transformation experience becoming their favorite anime or video game characters.

This benefit works through the famous national system Furusato Nozei (hometown tax), which allows taxpayers to donate part of their taxes to a specific municipality in exchange for thank-you gifts. In Toshima’s case, the top reward known as the “Platinum Package” requires a donation of about 530,000 yen. Those who contribute this amount receive a custom-made costume of any character they choose, along with specialized makeup, hairstyling, a professional photoshoot, and exclusive VIP passes to major cosplayer events in the famous Ikebukuro district.

For those without such a large sum, the local government designed more affordable options like the “Gold Package” for 220,000 yen, offering the same styling services but with characters from a pre-designed catalog, or simple passes starting at 20,000 yen. The district’s intention is to leverage Ikebukuro’s immense reputation as a collector’s mecca to allow anyone, even without prior experience, to live the experience of embodying their favorite anime hero with the best technical quality possible without worrying about making anything themselves.