Students who are refraining from returning to their hometowns due to the coronavirus outbreak might be eligible to receive from their local government care packages filled with locally procured ingredients.
The Tsubame city government in Niigata Prefecture began accepting applications for its care package on April 10. More than 490 students have applied, more than double what the city government expected. Students who are from the city and currently live outside the prefecture receive 5 kilograms of locally grown rice of the Koshihikari variety, vegetables, miso and other items.
Owners of small and midsize businesses in the city came up with the idea, hoping that they would encourage students who refrain from returning home due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The business owners buy agricultural products from local farmers and ship the goods along with a city-provided fabric face mask. The care package contains goods worth 5,000 yen.
"I've been anxious since I haven't been able to go to university or do any job hunting," said a recipient of the care package, a 21-year-old college senior living in Saitama Prefecture. "When I received the locally grown rice from my hometown, I felt like crying."
The Toyama prefectural government plans to send 2 kilograms of the Fufufu brand rice to 16,000 students from Toyama residing outside the prefecture. There are some conditions to receive the rice, including agreeing to receive information on employment in the prefecture. The prefectural government plans to start shipping the rice from early May.
Some local governments make it a condition that those who receive such care packages agree not to return to their hometowns during the long Golden Week holiday from late April to early May.
The Nagai city government in Yamagata Prefecture plans to send a care package worth 3,000 yen that includes 2 kilograms each of the Tsuyahime and the Yukiwakamaru brands of rice and two bags of ball-shaped tama konnyaku, a jelly-like food made from konjak. These packages are scheduled to reach students living outside the prefecture around May 1.
The Rausu town government in Hokkaido provides a care package worth 3,000 yen to 4,000 yen to students living outside town who will not return to the town through May 6, the last day of the Golden Week holiday this year. The package includes dried salmon jerky, furikake rice seasoning and ramen noodles, both made using kombu, its local specialty product.
"We want to express our gratitude to the students who really want to return home but are refraining from doing so," Rausu Mayor Minoru Minatoya said.
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