Taiki Town Office has received a corporate hometown tax donation of 10 million yen (approximately USD 67,000) from Hokkaido Gas Co., Ltd. (Hokkaido Gas).
Taiki Town, together with SPACE COTAN Co., Ltd., operates Hokkaido Spaceport (HOSPO), a commercial spaceport open to private operators. The town has been accepting corporate hometown tax donations for two initiatives:
- Hard infrastructure development, including the expansion of HOSPO facilities, and
- Soft support programs, such as assistance for space-related companies and outreach to promote aerospace industries.
This time, Hokkaido Gas’s 10 million yen contribution has been allocated to support hard infrastructure development at HOSPO.
Hokkaido Gas Co., Ltd. – Company Overview
As a corporate group rooted in Hokkaido—a region characterized by heavy snowfall and a cold climate—we are committed to creating a comfortable society by optimizing energy and the environment. By promoting energy efficiency, low-carbon initiatives, and decarbonization, we aim to build a new energy society together with our customers.
- Head Office: 2-1-1 Higashi-ku, Kita 7-jo, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
- Representative: Chisato Kawamura, President
- Business Activities:
- Gas utility services
- Electricity supply business
- Heat supply business
- Manufacturing and sales of gas appliances, and related construction work
- Other related businesses
- Website: https://www.hokkaido-gas.co.jp/english/
Comment from Chisato Kawamura, President
We decided to make this donation in strong agreement with Taiki Town’s vision of creating a “Silicon Valley of Space,” which is being advanced through close collaboration between the public and private sectors.
Through this participation, we will work broadly with like-minded partners to explore new possibilities for energy use connected to space. While valuing our connection with the local community, we will leverage our expertise to drive technological innovation and fully commit to creating new value that contributes to the sustainable development of Taiki Town and the revitalization of the economy across Hokkaido.
Government Support for Space Transportation Accelerates as Japan Moves Toward Autonomous Space Activities
With the rapid expansion of the global commercial space industry, the size of the world’s space market is projected to reach USD 1 trillion by 2040, nearly three times its current scale. Demand for satellite launches is increasing; however, due to limited domestic launch opportunities, many satellites are currently launched overseas.
In June 2023, the Japanese government approved a new Basic Plan on Space Policy, which sets forth the goal of securing independent access to space and achieving autonomous space activities without reliance on other nations. As one concrete measure, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) allocated 35 billion yen (approximately USD 230 million) over five years under the SBIR Phase 3 Program to support the development and demonstration of launch vehicles by private-sector startups.
In addition, the government established the 1-trillion-yen Space Strategy Fund (approximately USD 6.7 billion) to support technology development and commercialization by companies and universities. This fund also covers R&D for ground-based systems related to launch sites, including foundational technologies for spaceport infrastructure. The government has set a KPI of securing around 30 domestic launches per year by the early 2030s, further accelerating support for Japan’s space transportation sector.
HOSPO Aims to Become a Next-Generation Launch Site Capable of High-Frequency, Multi-Vehicle Operations
Hokkaido Spaceport (HOSPO) is Japan’s only multi-mode spaceport capable of supporting both vertical and horizontal launch operations. Through the development of launch sites for rockets and spaceplanes, HOSPO provides launch and testing support for companies, universities, and research institutions from Japan and abroad. Approximately 40 tests and experiments are conducted annually, and in 2019 and 2021, commercial sounding rockets reached space a total of three times.
To accommodate satellite launch missions, HOSPO has been engaged in the construction of Launch Complex 1 (LC1) since 2022. It has also been extending its runway. A portion of the funding has come from Japan’s corporate hometown tax donation program. Thanks to the generous support of many contributors, total donations have reached the target of 1.1 billion yen (approximately USD 7.3 million), although additional contributions continue to be sought owing to rising construction costs driven by surging material prices.
After LC1 is completed in September 2026, launches by companies such as Interstellar Technologies Inc. are planned. The runway extension was completed in June 2024 and is expected to support testing for next-generation air mobility vehicles, including spaceplanes, flying cars, and drones.
To position HOSPO as a hub for the space industry in Asia and to enable frequent, diverse launch operations by domestic and international operators, plans are underway for the development of a second launch site—Launch Complex 2 (LC2)—as well as a 3,000-meter runway designed to accommodate point-to-point transportation (P2P).
Corporate Hometown Tax Donation Program
The Corporate Hometown Tax Donation Program is a scheme under which companies that contribute to regional revitalization projects carried out by local governments receive tax credits against their corporate taxes. Up to approximately 90% of the contributed amount can be offset through reductions in corporate-related taxes.
From the launch of the program in FY2016 through FY2024, a total of 1,631 local governments—representing about 90% of all municipalities in Japan—have utilized this program.
About Taiki Town
- Representative: Yutaka Kurokawa, Mayor
- Location: 33 Higashihondori, Taiki Town, Hiroo, Hokkaido, Japan
- Overview: Home to 5,300 residents, the town’s economy is driven by agriculture, fishing, and forestry. The town was recognized as a suitable base for aerospace in 1984 and has been promoting development of a “space town” for about 40 years since then. In 2022, construction began on Launch Complex 1 (LC1), a launch site for small satellites. The goal is to create an aerospace industry hub and ecosystem with Hokkaido Spaceport as its core.
- Website: https://www.town.taiki.hokkaido.jp/
About SPACE COTAN Co., Ltd.
- Representative: Yoshinori Odagiri, President and CEO
- Location: 98 Nishihondori, Taiki Town, Hiroo, Hokkaido
- Business Overview: SPACE COTAN oversees the overall promotion of the Hokkaido Spaceport (HOSPO) project under mandate from Taiki Town, including management and operation of the spaceport, fundraising, launch site design, acquisition of national certifications, business development, and public relations.
- Website: https://hokkaidospaceport.com/
About Hokkaido Spaceport (HOSPO)
HOSPO is a commercial spaceport open to the private sector, located in Taiki, Japan. For over 40 years, Taiki Town has sought to be home to the aerospace industry and is regarded as one of the most suitable locations for a world-class spaceport, thanks to its considerable geographic advantages: open seas to the east and south for launch trajectories and expansive land for future site expansion.
HOSPO’s suborbital launch site, Launch Complex 0 (LC0), is already operational, with private launch vehicles having reached space three times to date.
To realize its vision of creating a “Silicon Valley of Space,” development is underway on a new orbital launch site, Launch Complex 1 (LC1). Future plans include Launch Complex 2 (LC2) for high-frequency launches, Launch Complex X (LCX) for larger and human-rated launch vehicles, and a new 3,000-meter runway for point-to-point transportation (P2P).
In October 2024, Taiki Town and SPACE COTAN signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU), committing to expand international spaceport collaboration with eight commercial spaceports located across five continents. In order to meet the growing demand for launches, SPACE COTAN will explore potential strategic partnerships aimed at establishing international spaceport standards.
Furthermore, SPACE COTAN was selected in January 2025 for the Japanese government’s Space Strategy Fund and will use the funding to develop ground-based technologies that support high-frequency launches of various launch vehicles.
In another milestone, in July 2025, jtSPACE Co., Ltd., a Japanese sister company of Taiwanese firm TiSPACE Inc., conducted the nation’s first suborbital rocket launch funded by foreign capital at HOSPO.
