Final Fantasy 14 is giving Japanese taxpayers a giant rideable dog

Square Enix has partnered with Tokyo's Shibuya Ward as part of Japan's Furusato Nozei system — a scheme that lets residents redirect a portion of their residence tax to other municipalities and receive gifts in return. This time, those gifts include Final Fantasy 14 mounts, costumes, and emotes.

The headline reward is the Megashiba mount, a giant rideable dog, available for a 9,000 yen (roughly $56) donation to Shibuya. Other tiers include three costume sets — Magitek Attire, Collegiate Attire (Skirt), and Collegiate Attire (Slacks) — at 7,000 yen (about $43) each, four dance emotes for 11,000 yen (about $68), and five Phials of Fantasia for 17,000 yen (about $105). These prices are significantly higher than the FF14 online store — the Megashiba normally runs around 2,530 yen (roughly $16) — but since Japanese residents are paying that tax money anyway, and the scheme comes with a potential tax write-off above a certain threshold, it's a reasonable deal for anyone already contributing to Furusato Nozei.

The scheme has run since 2008, originally designed to funnel tax revenue toward rural and less-populated areas of Japan. Digital rewards are a newer addition — last year Shibuya offered in-game currency for mobile games Monster Strike and Kotodaman. Square Enix has an office in Shibuya, which makes the FF14 tie-in a natural fit. The Megashiba mount also carries a local nod: Shibuya is famous for Hachiko, the loyal Akita who waited at Shibuya Station for his deceased owner, immortalized in a statue outside the station and a film adaptation starring Richard Gere. The Megashiba is a Shiba Inu rather than an Akita, but the connection to Shibuya's most famous dog is hard to miss.

Players outside Japan aren't completely locked out — most of these items are available through the standard FF14 online store. Japanese residents who want to participate can sign up through the official collaboration site.