Hokuryu Town Pioneer Memorial Ceremony and Commendation Ceremony for Meritorious Service 2024・Remembering the Hard Work of Our Predecessors

Monday, May 20, 2024

On Friday, May 17, the Hokuryu Town Pioneer Memorial Ceremony and Awards Ceremony for Distinguished Service were solemnly held.


Hokuryu Town Pioneer Memorial Ceremony

This year, 2024, the Year of the Dragon, marks the 132nd anniversary of the opening of Hokuryu Town.
Spring winds and rain are blowing like a typhoon, and the abundant water in the rice paddies is swaying wildly in the strong winds.

At 10:00 a.m., Mr. Ohnishi, the chief priest of Ohkuni Shrine (Fukagawa City), solemnly delivered a prayer of congratulation in front of the pioneer monument, which stands as if to watch over all the paddy fields and to remember the labors of the pioneers.

1. offering of a food offering to the gods

The offerings include rice, sake, water/salt, fish, vegetables, fruits, seaweed, eggs, and sweets.

2. performance of the prayer ritual

3. reverentially offering a tamagushi

More than 20 dignitaries representing Hokuryu Town offered tamagushi (a ceremonial Shinto offering of a sacred object).

The location was moved to the Hokuryu Town Senior Citizens Welfare Center, where a ceremony was held to honor those who have made distinguished service.

Award Ceremony in accordance with the Hokuryu Town Award Ordinance

Those who have contributed to the promotion and development of Hokuryu Town or those who have been recognized for their outstanding achievements are awarded in accordance with the bylaws.


1. opening remarks

The general chairman was Mr. Hajime Namba, Manager of the General Affairs Division of the Town Hall.

Ceremonial Address: Yasuhiro Sasaki, Mayor of Hokuryu Town

Thank you all for your hard work. The weather has been very difficult. I received a kind word from Mr. Ryoji Kikura, an honorary resident of the town, who said, 'This weather is a reminder of the hard work of our predecessors.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules, both public and private, to attend the Hokuryu Town Pioneer Commemoration Ceremony and the Commendation Ceremony based on the Hokuryu Town Commendation Ordinance.

This year marks the 132nd anniversary since the groundwork was broken for the development of Hokuryu Town in 1892. During that time, many of our predecessors endured harsh natural conditions, overcame many hardships, and poured their heart and soul into the construction of today's Hokuryu Town, laying the foundation for today's affluent town.

Hokuryu Town, with its abundant clear water and fertile land, was quick to establish a production base, and is now making steady progress as a safe food production area with agriculture as its core industry, while promoting measures for the welfare of residents, enhancement of healthcare, promotion of education and culture, promotion of tourism, and support for child rearing.

Many of our seniors, no matter what adversity they faced, no matter how hard it was for them, have built the town of Hokuryu today as a result of their hard work and efforts, always with a cheerful heart and with a sense of idealism and hope.

We also have a role to play in passing things on to the next generation, but we cannot make things work if we have a dark, backward-looking attitude.

It is very simple, but first we need to have hope for our own and Hokuryu Town's future. We also need to be cheerful and energetic, have an honest heart to listen to others, and live positively in order to create a great future.

We have now begun a step-by-step strategy meeting to envision the Hokuryu Town of tomorrow. We would like to build the Hokuryu Town of tomorrow by listening to the solid opinions of the townspeople.

We would like to once again express our gratitude and appreciation for the efforts and cooperation of everyone who attended the meeting and all of the town's citizens.

❂ Awards based on the Hokuryu Town Award Ordinance

All of you who are honored here today have made great achievements through your dedication and efforts over the years in the areas of general township service, educational service, and industrial promotion service.

Here are just a few of the achievements of the five individuals who will receive awards.

• General Town Service: Mr. Yutaka Sano
  　
  In April 1970, he was appointed to the Hokuryu Town Office, where he served in various positions, and in March 2004, he was appointed Assistant Town Manager (Deputy Mayor). He contributed to the promotion and development of Hokuryu Town by improving various facilities such as Minorickchi Hokuryu, COCOWA, and Yawara Nursery School, and by enhancing measures to support child-raising and promote settlement in the town.
  As your name suggests, you have created a Hokuryu town with a variety of rich hearts and minds. Thank you very much.
  　
• General Town Service: Mr. Kazuyuki Kosaka
  　
  Since his election to the Hokuryu Town Council in March 2007, he has served four consecutive terms of 16 years, contributing to the smooth operation of the council and the progress of town administration. During this time, he served as the Chairman of the Council Steering Committee and the Chairman of the Public Relations Special Committee for four years from March 2011, and as an Audit Committee member for eight years from March 2015.
  Thank you very much for your warm personality and good humor. Thank you very much.
  　
• General Township Merit: Mr. Masami Komatsu
  　
  Since his election to the Hokuryu Town Council in March 2011, he has served three consecutive terms of 12 years, contributing to the smooth operation of the council and town administration. During this period, he served as the chairman of the Council Steering Committee and the chairman of the Public Relations Special Committee for eight years from March 2015.
  You have been a solid asset and a great activity. Thank you very much.
  　
• Educational Merit: Mr. Nobuyuki Takebayashi (absent today)
  　
  Since assuming office as a Hokuryu Town Board of Education member in October 2007 (Heisei 19), he has made significant contributions to the promotion of educational administration for four terms and 16 years. During this period, he served as the Chairman of the Board of Education for 2 years and 11 months from November 2013 (2013), and as the Deputy for the Chief Education Officer for 7 years from October 2016 (2016). Thank you very much for your service.
  　
• Industrial Promotion Merit: Mr. Shigeki Mizutani
  　
  Since assuming office as Hokuryu Agricultural Commissioner in July 2005, he has served six terms of 18 years and has made a great contribution to the promotion of agricultural land accumulation and intensification in Hokuryu Town. During this time, he served as acting chairman for three years from 2014 and as chairman for six years from 2017, and has contributed greatly to the promotion of agriculture in the town as a whole.
  You are still very young and I would like to get a lot of guidance from you. Thank you very much.
  　

I would like to introduce some of the achievements of each of the individuals honored today and express my deepest respect and appreciation for their years of hard work and dedication.

Next, we would like to present a letter of appreciation to Mr. Katsutoshi Hirono, Mr. Hiroaki Kawakami, and Mr. Takeru Matsunaga for their generous donations to Hokuryu Town in the past fiscal year.

We will use the funds effectively and appropriately for the promotion and development of the town.

Next, we would like to present an incentive grant for agricultural successors to start farming, based on the Hokuryu Town Sunflower Bank Nurturing Fund Ordinance.

The farmers who have been working as successors to farmers for more than two years after completing their studies, or who have been engaged in jobs other than farming before becoming successors to farmers, will receive an incentive grant to succeed to the farming industry.

Here are the recipients of the gifts.

❂ Presentation of incentives for agricultural successors to start farming

• Mr. Hirofumi Takebayashi (Iwamura Farmers Association)
  　
  After graduating from Asahikawa University in 2005, he worked in Tokyo, but decided to take up farming as the successor to his parents' farm in March 2021.
  I hope you will do your best more and more.
  　
• Ms. Aguri Matsuda (Itaya Farmers Association)
  　
  After graduating from a vocational school in Sapporo in 2010, he started working in Chitose City, but decided to take up farming as the successor to his family's farm in August 2021.
  Please do not hesitate to contact us.
  　
• Mr. Tsuyoshi Nakahara (Hekisui Farmers Association)
  　
  He graduated from Future University Hakodate Public in 2007 (Heisei 19) and started working in Hokuryu Town in 2014 (Heisei 26), but he decided to take up farming as the successor to his parents' farm in March 2017 (Heisei 29). We have great expectations for you and look forward to working with you.
  　
• Mr. Takahiro Takigami (Iwamura Farmers Association)
  　
  After graduating from Takikawa High School in Hokkaido in 2006, he started working in Ashibetsu City, but decided to take up farming as a successor to his relatives and has been working as a successor to his relatives since April 2022.
  Thank you for your cooperation.
  　

The situation surrounding farmers remains severe. I sincerely hope that you will take good care of your health, deepen your education and intelligence, and devote yourself to being a leader of solid agricultural management.

In closing, I would like to express my sincere wishes for the health and happiness of all those present today, and for your continued success in the future. May 17, 2024: Yasuhiro Sasaki, Mayor of the Town of Hokuryu

3. commendation for meritorious service

1. general merit of the town: Mr. Yutaka Sano

2. general merit: Mr. Kazuyuki Kosaka

3. general merit of the town: Mr. Masami Komatsu

Educational Merit: Mr. Nobuyuki Takebayashi (absent)

5. distinguished service for industrial promotion: Mr. Shigeki Mizutani

4. commendation for special donors

When an individual or organization donates to the Town of Hokuryu, it will be recognized in accordance with the Town's regulations and a letter of appreciation will be presented.

• Mr. Katsutoshi Hirono (Fukagawa City)
• Mr. Hiroaki Kawakami (Miyaba Beef)
• Mr. Takeru Matsunaga (Hekisui)

5. presentation of incentive money to succeeding farmers

In accordance with the Hokuryu Town Sunflower Bank Nurturing Fund Ordinance, we offer incentives to agricultural successors in the hope that they will grow to become core members of the local agricultural industry.

• Mr. Hirofumi Takebayashi (Iwamura Farmers Association)
• Ms. Aguri Matsuda (Itaya Farmers Association)
• Mr. Tsuyoshi Nakahara (Hekisui Farmers Association)
• Mr. Takahiro Takigami (Iwamura Farmers Association)

Congratulatory speech: Mr. Shoichi Nakamura, Chairman of the Hokuryu Town Council

In this season of fresh green leaves, I would like to express my heartfelt congratulations on the Hokuryu Town Pioneer Commemoration Ceremony and the Commendation Ceremony in accordance with the Hokuryu Town Ordinances.

In 1892 (Meiji 26), a group led by Mr. Shoichiro Yoshiue from Chiba Prefecture laid the groundwork for the development of this area, and 132 years have passed since then.

I would like to express my deep respect and gratitude to our predecessors who endured the wind and snow and fought against many hardships to build the town of Hokuryu today, as well as to remind us of the weight of history.

Congratulations to Mr. Yutaka Sano, Mr. Kazuyuki Kosaka, Ms. Masami Komatsu, Mr. Nobuyuki Takebayashi, and Mr. Shigeki Mizutani, who have just received their awards.

I would like to thank all of you for your many years of service in your respective fields. I would like to express my sincere appreciation and congratulate you on today's award.

We hope you will continue to provide us with various suggestions for the future of Hokuryu. We look forward to your continued good health and success in your endeavors.

We would like to thank Mr. Katsutoshi Hirono of Fukagawa City, Mr. Hiroaki Kawakami of Miba Beef, and Mr. Takeru Matsunaga of Hekisui for their valuable donations, which we will try to use in the right places for the right people.

I look forward to your continued guidance in many ways for Hokuryu Town. Thank you very much.

We have high expectations for Mr. Hirofumi Takebayashi, Ms. Aguri Matsuda, Mr. Tsuyoshi Nakahara, and Mr. Takahiro Takigami, who received the Farming Incentive Grant as leaders of our town's agriculture industry, and we will continue to support them as they realize their dreams of becoming farmers.

We sincerely hope that each of you will be active as successors or farmers.

Local governments are now entering an era in which they are taking their own direction, their own measures, and their own responsibility.

I would like to conclude my congratulatory address by expressing my hope that all residents will work together to build the shining town of Hokuryu by facing challenges with a sense of reality and a big-picture perspective.
Congratulations today."

7. Acknowledgement of Awardee: Mr. Yutaka Sano, Awardee

I am very happy and grateful to receive this commendation today on the occasion of the Beiryu Town Pioneer's Day," he said.

I have just received a congratulatory message from Mr. Nakamura, the chairman of the board, and Mayor Sasaki gave me an unreserved compliment. Thank you very much.

Looking back, I was appointed mayor in February 2012 with the support of many people, including the citizens of our town, and have worked hard for the promotion and development of our hometown, Hokuryu Town, over the course of three terms and 12 years.

Among them, Sunflower Rice for Agricultural Promotion won the "Japan Agricultural Award Grand Prize", Kurozengoku Business Cooperative was recognized as a "Treasure of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Village", and last spring, the first-squeezed sunflower oil was certified as "High Grade Food of the North 2023". Furthermore, last fall, "Ryujin," a junmai sake made with Hokuryu-machi rice comet, won the Grand Prix in the "Sake Made with Hokkaido Rice Award 2023.

In both cases, we are proud of our town's high evaluation of Hokuryu Town's agriculture.

I would like to express my deepest gratitude for the warm hospitality you have extended to me, and I will continue to fulfill my duties for the development of Hokuryu Town as a town resident.

Thank you very much for your time today."

8. Closing Remarks

commemorative photograph

Commendation for Distinguished Service

Special Donation Recognition

Incentives for Successors to the Farming Industry

We respect the pioneering spirit of our predecessors after 132 years of pioneering, and we are grateful for their endurance and hardships, and we express our unlimited love, gratitude and prayers to the precious souls who continue to contribute to and protect the development of Hokuryu Town.

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