英語版

TThhee GGuunnmmaa GGuuiiddee March / April 2017

（公財）群馬県観光物産国際協会 Gunma Association of Tourism, Local Products & International Exchange(GTIA)

群馬県前橋市大手町 2-1-1 群馬会館 3F TEL 027-243-7271 FAX 027-243-7275 Gunma-ken -shi Ote-machi 2-1-1 Gunma Kaikan 3F http://www.gtia.jp/kokusai/english e-mail: [email protected]

Tataranuma Kouen ☎0276-72-9122 ◆Mid-March to Mid-April . Tatebayashi to Oura of Oura-machi Area

Tsutsujigaoka Daini Kouen ☎ 0276-72-4111 ◆Late March to Mid-April One Shiromachi, Tatebayashi South Side Akagi Nanmen Senbon Zakura ☎027-283-2131 ◆Early to Mid-April 2511-2 Naegashima-machi, Maebashi Maebashi Kouen ☎027-231-0002 ◆Early April 3-14-1 Otemachi, Maebashi ☎ ◆ Shikishima Kouen 027-234-9011 Early April 66 Shikishima-machi, Maebashi Kannonyama ☎027-321-1257 ◆Early April 2395 Ishihara-machi, Takasaki Ushibuseyama Shizen Kouen ☎027-387-3111◆Mid- April

Taira, Yoshii-machi, Takasaki Kezouji Kouen ☎0270-25-4478 ◆Early April One Kezoji-machi, Kiryugaoka Kouen ☎0277-22-7580 ◆Early April 4-1-1 Miyamoto-cho, Kiryu Hachiojiyama Kouen ☎0276-37-3434 ◆Early April to May 2079-3 Kamigoudo-cho, Ota

Nagame Kouen ☎0277-76-1270 ◆Mid- April 1635 Ooaza Omama, Omama-cho, Midori Shika no Kawanuma ☎0277-76-1270 ◆Early April Azami, Kasakake-cho, Midori (Near Iwajuku Museum) Numata Joshin Kouen ☎0278-23-2111 ◆Mid- April 594 Nishikurauchi-machi, Numata ☎ ◆ Shironouchi Kouen 0276-63-3111 Early April 2-24 Shironouchi, Oizumi-machi, Oura-gun Ichimine Kouen ☎0274-62-6001 ◆ Early to Mid-April 1332 Nanokaichi, Tomioka Lake Ooshioko ☎0274-62-1511 ◆Mid- April

Minamigoka, Tomioka Takenuma Pond ☎0274-22-1211 ◆Early April Midono, Fujioka Myogisan Sakurano Sato ☎0274-82-2400 ◆Mid-April to Early May 258 Ooaza Kamikosaka, Shimonita-machi, Kanra-gun

目 次

花見情報・・・・・・P1

個人住民税の特別徴収・・・・・・P2, P3

自動車税・・・・・・P3 神社コロッケ、天空の梅まつり ・・・・・・P4

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An important notice concerning individual resident tax to all Gunma residents who are salaried workers

Effective Fiscal Year 2017, all municipal governments of will collect individual resident tax (kojinjuminzei ) by way of Special Tax Levy (Tokubetsuchoshu), meaning employers withhold the tax from their employees’ monthly salary. *Please note that individual resident tax refers to the combination of municipal and prefectural taxes.

 If you are a salaried worker, your employer will withhold your individual resident tax from your monthly salary for payment to your local municipality. This is called “Special Tax Levy” or Tokubetsuchoshu. It’s similar to the current system of withholding your income tax (Shotokuzei) from your monthly salary.

 In accordance with Paragraph 4, Article 321 of the Local Tax Law of , business owners who are obliged to withhold their employees’ income tax from their salary are also obliged to withhold individual resident tax via Special Tax Levy.

 All employees-irrespective of their status (full-time or part-time, etc.) -, who were on the payroll the preceding year and will continue to be so as of April 1, 2017, are subject to Special Tax Levy.

(Individual resident tax will continue to be paid by individuals who are other than salaried workers in four installments: August, October, and January of the following year, upon receipt of “Tax Notice/Tax Payment Slip” sent by their local municipal tax office. This is called Normal Levy or Futsuchoshu as opposed to Special Tax Levy.)

Special Tax Levy (Tokubetsuchoshu) System

Submit Annual Payroll Statement Municipal ((Kyuyo Shiharai Employee Employer Government Hokokusho) Taxpayers (1) Due Date:

Hand out January 31, 2017 Special Tax Levy

Notice (2) Inform about special Calculate tax tax levy total (4) Due Date: amount May 31

Withhold Tax via (3) Due Date: May 31 Collect individual Special Tax Levy resident tax via Special Tax Levy

(5) Pay the individual Withhold tax from resident tax salary starting withheld June(to May of the following year)

(6) Due Date: 10th of the month following pay day

-2- Definition of a Special Tax Levy Payer (Employer)

◆Salary payers who are obliged to collect income tax at the source (business owners)

Definition of a Taxpayer (Employee)

 Employees who were on the payroll of a special levy ax payer (employer) in the preceding year (January 1 through December 31) and who continued to be on the payroll as of April 1 (the first day of the current fiscal year)

 If any of the Items A through F below applies, a taxpayer can pay their individual resident tax by way of Normal Levy (Futsuchoshu) as an exception provided upon their employer’s request.

A: Business owners whose headcount is two or fewer (excluding the total number of employees for whom the below Items B through F apply) B: Employees who are Otsuran Gaitosha (individuals who have more than one income source) and pay their individual resident taxes via Special Tax Levy via another employment C: Employees who earn less than the taxable amount (Employees who earn less than JPY930,000 or *JPY965,000 annually. See below for clarification.) D: Employees who are not on the payroll constantly E: Employees who are on the Senjusha payroll, such as a business owner’s family members F: Employees who are 1) on leave of absence 2) have resigned 3) are scheduled to resign on or before May 31 and are included in the Kyuyo Shiharai Hokokusho (annual payroll statement) for the preceding calendar year. Please also note the followings: - If you meet the abovementioned requirements and qualify for paying the individual resident tax via Normal Levy, you must submit an Ido Dotokedesho form (notification of personnel changes) - The annual salary mentioned in Item C above applies as follows. JPY965,000 for residents of Maebashi, Takasaki, and Kiryu. JPY930,000 for residents of all other municipalities. If employees live somewhere other than Gunma Prefecture, please contact the applicable prefecture/municipality.

Vehicle-related Taxes

Automobile Tax and Light Automobile Tax are due on May 31, 2017 (Wed.) ◎ Vehicle owners (meaning those who own vehicles as of April 1) have to pay their vehicle-related taxes at convenience stores, banks, or post offices. *If you have any problems with paying your vehicle tax, contact the offices below for inquiry/consultation. Automobile Tax: Gunma-ken Jidoshazei Jimusho (027-263-4343) (Gunma Prefectural Vehicle Tax Office) Light Automobile Tax: Your local Village/Town/City Hall Visit the URL below for explanation of vehicle tax in English. http://www.pref.gunma.jp/07/p01110012.html

Also, please note the followings.

Automobile tax also becomes payable when any of the followings apply. 1. You sold your automobile on or before March 31, 2017 but did not complete the transfer registration (change of ownership) procedure at the Gunma Branch of Kanto Transportation Bureau.

2. You requested your dealer for either trade-in or disposal of your automobile on or before March 31, 2017 but did not complete the transfer registration (change of ownership) or deletion registration (haisha or disposal) procedures of your automobile at the Gunma Branch of Kanto Transportation Bureau.

3. You completed the transfer registration of your automobile (changed its ownership to someone who lives within or outside of Gunma) on or after April 1, 2017.

4. Your Vehicle Inspection Certificate (Shaken-sho) is expired, but you did not complete its deletion registration (haisha or disposal) at the Gunma Branch of Kanto Transportation Bureau.

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Isesaki Jinja Croquettes

Have you heard of a “Jinja Croquette”? It literally means a “Jinja Shrine Croquette”. The croquettes were first made over 70 years ago in Isesaki City. Later, in the mid-1950’s, a food stall started to sell croquettes next to the Isesaki Jinja Shrine. Over time, people began to call them the Jinja (shrine) Croquettes.

You can see the original food stall that sold them in a city museum. There, you will notice that the menu simply says “croquette”, not jinja croquette. Unfortunately, the food stall closed in 2006.

Here’s the good news. The Jinja Croquettes made by Murasakian came in second in the 2016 Isesaki Gourmet Grand Prix. So, here you are. You can also go to one of the city’s events like Hatsuichi Market in January, Isesaki Meisen Day (Meisen is the fabric Isesaki is famous for) in March, or JA Chokubaijo (JA farmer’s market) to look for them. Check the website for the City’s tourism association.

You might want to try making them yourself if you live far away from Isesaki. The ingredients are flour, potatoes, and dried laver seaweed. Some use okara ( refuse), too. The firm texture that characterizes the Jinja Croquettes comes from kneading the potatoes well. Also, letting the raw croquettes sit for a while before deep-frying them helps create the thick texture. You use sauce when you eat jinja croquettes. Children like to use sweet miso bean paste. By using sweet miso, you can create a taste similar to Yakimanju roasted buns.

The Three Major Plum-Grove Parks in the West of Gunma

Spring has come. It’s time for flower viewing. Cherry blossom-viewing is usually the most popular of them all, but Umemi or plum blossom-viewing is equally popular among Japanese.

There are three large-scale plum-grove parks in the west of Gunma. They are Akima Bairin in Annaka , Haruna Bairin and Misato Bairin in Takasaki.

Takasaki is among the country’s most well-known plum producers. In these parks, some of the plum trees planted there are more than 100 years old. You can enjoy pink and white flowers from around mid-February to late March.

One of the three, Misato Bairin, has more than 100,000 trees planted on a 30-hectare hill overlooking the Kanto Plain. When the flowers are in full bloom, the white plum blossoms look as if they are making an unkai or a sea of clouds. During plum festivals at these three parks, a variety of events will be offered to visitors. As shown in the photos above, stage performances and outdoor tea ceremony are among them.

Each park has different programs and schedules, so please check their respective websites before your visit.

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