FY2025 Interest Subsidy for Special Financing Affected by Exchange Rate Fluctuations, US Tariffs, and Yen Depreciation (Kotoura Town)

(1) Overview: Kotoura Town (Tottori Prefecture) announced on 7 April 2026 a 3-year interest-subsidy program for SMEs located in the town that took out loans under Tottori Prefecture's "Regional Economic Fluctuation Countermeasures Fund" (a sub-program of the Corporate Self-Support Financing) to cope with three distinct shocks: (a) sharp exchange-rate swings, (b) US tariff impacts, and (c) US tariffs combined with yen depreciation. For each category the town subsidizes all or part of the interest paid to financial institutions over 36 months. (2) Eligibility: Corporations, sole proprietors, and cooperatives with a business establishment in Kotoura Town that received an eligible loan and paid interest to a financial institution. Applicants must owe town taxes and have paid them by the statutory deadlines. Refinancing loans intended to replace existing debt are excluded; only new borrowings qualify. (3) Eligible expenses / benefit content: The subsidy covers interest paid to the lender between 1 January and 31 December of each year (excluding default/penalty interest). The covered amount is calculated by multiplying the interest paid (D) by the new-borrowing ratio (C = new-loan amount B / total borrowed A, rounded to 4 decimal places), then truncating to whole yen. (4) Rate / cap / schedule / application points: Eligible loan-execution windows are 1 Apr–30 Sept 2025 (exchange-rate), 12 Sept–31 Dec 2025 (US tariff), and 1 Jan–31 Mar 2026 (US tariff + yen). Applicants submit Form 1 (application & performance report), Form 2 (interest-payment certificate from lender), and Form 3 (business plan / report) by the end of January each year, attaching a copy of the original loan application (first year only) and a repayment schedule, to the Commerce & Tourism Division, Kotoura Town. Invoice dates must follow the official Grant Decision & Amount-Confirmation Notice.