15 Development of specialty products and PR activities for tourism and specialty products

15 Development of specialty products and PR activities for tourism and specialty products

Specialty Product Development

Tourism has a significant economic impact on the sales of local specialties, including souvenirs, and expectations for tourism as a means of revitalizing local economies are increasing.

The OVOP Movement was proposed by Governor Morihiko Hiramatsu of Oita Prefecture in 1980 to revitalize the region by having each municipality in Oita Prefecture cultivate one specialty product.

In 1983, Hokkaido Governor Takahiro Yokoji questioned regional independence through the "One Village, One Product" movement, and appealed to the people of Hokkaido to take the viewpoint that "Hokkaido is not at the northern end of the country. He appealed to the people of Hokkaido to take the viewpoint that "Hokkaido is in the middle of the earth," which led to a change in the consciousness of the people of Hokkaido, who had become dependent on subsidies since the Meiji pioneering period, and motivated the people involved in town development.

In 1980, the women's club of the agricultural cooperative began a "one hectare per household" campaign to plant sunflowers as well as melons and sweet corn, which had been produced on a trial basis, and community development using sunflowers as a symbol began to sprout.

In 1981, six households in the Mitani area began producing "yellow kodama watermelon" (now Himawari watermelon).

In 1982, a sunflower nut processing facility was introduced.

In 1983, permission was granted to produce sunflower oil and sunflower nuts, and the agricultural cooperative began full-scale production.

1984 Noboru Takeuchi began shipping "sunflower pigs" fed on sunflower oil waste.

Currently, no pigs are raised in the town, but sunflower pigs are produced in Nayoro City using the sunflower oil scum from Hokuryu Town and used at the Sunflower Park Restaurant.

1986 (1986) Production of sweets using sunflower seeds "Hokuriyu Koika" and "Sunflower no Kaze" were produced and sold.

In 1989, Himawari Kobo (former Secretary General of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Takamasa Hatta) began selling Kumiki products.

1990: Himawari-no-sato store association was established, and Parlor Tsuneki started selling "Himawari Oyaki" (sunflower oyaki) at Himawari-no-sato.

In Hokuryu Town, a "Sunflower Advanced Utilization Study Committee" was formed to conduct research on "bath salts" and "sunflower drinks.

The agricultural cooperative launched "Himawari Ramen" and "Himawari-kun".

1992 (Heisei 4) Sold souvenir sweets "Sunflower Pie", "Sunflower Cake", "Dragon Pie", and "Northern Sun" at Sunflower Park.

In 1993, a special products sales council (town, JA, commercial promotion council, Sunflower Park) was established, and trial production of (sunflower bath salts, sunflower bank, sunflower oolong tea) was made by the sunflower altitude study committee.

Selling "Sunflower ice cream," "Sunflower health tea (herbal sunflower tea)," "sunflower honey business area," "Istan candy," and "sunflower cookies.

1995 (Heisei 7) "Kita no Himawari (Soleil)" was sold.

1996 (Heisei 8) Sunflower Park obtained a liquor retailer license and began selling pure rice sake "Himawari no Uta", "Himawari Wine", and "Melon Wine".

1997 (Heisei 9) Mr. Toshihisa Yamada started growing "Himawarikko (sunflower sprouts)" and used them in Sunflower Park cuisine.

Cheese & Butter Madeleines" and "Himawari no Yume (Sunflower Yokan)" are on sale.

1998: "Hokuriku Oyaki", "Himawari Dorayaki" and "Himawari Sesame Senbei" were put on sale.

In 1999 (2000), Himawari Agricultural Products (Representative: Tsutomu Yoshida) began selling rice cakes from the rice paddy.

2003 (Heisei 15) Production of sunflower oil and sunflower nuts, which had been conducted by JA, was terminated.

In 2006 (Heisei 18), JA acquired the "JAS standard for agricultural products for which production information is disclosed" and began selling rice at retail outlets such as supermarkets and at Sunflower Park.

Sunflower Rice has been adopted as a hometown tax return gift since 2008 (Heisei 20).

In 2006, Kuro Sengoku Business Cooperative (President Yukio Takada) was established to market Kuro Sengoku soybeans as a specialty product of Hokkaido.

2011 (Heisei 23) JA abolished direct sales of melons and watermelons at the fruit-sorting plant and began selling melons and watermelons at "Minoricchi".

The production of sunflower oil and nuts had been stopped since 2003, but without sunflowers as a food product to promote the town as a sunflower town, the farmer was commissioned to produce sunflower nuts, and machinery for the production was also purchased, and the production of sunflower nuts was resumed.

In 2004 (Heisei 16), "Hokuryu Comet", a special junmai sake brewed with Hokuryu-cho's sake rice "Comet", was released. Hokuryu Comet" is made from 100% Hokuryu-machi grown "Comet" rice, with a 55% rice polishing ratio, and produced at Kinjitake Shuzo (Shintotsukawa-machi).

In July 2015, Mr. Hisashi Sonehara, Regional Power Creation Advisor, gave a lecture at the 1st Regional Development Seminar. Mr. Sonehara coordinated a project with the Nisshin Oillio Group to develop special products utilizing sunflowers.
The "Hokuryu Town Sunflower Oil Reclamation Council" was established and the Sunflower Project was launched to promote the development of sunflower oil, attract tourists, and create employment opportunities.

The following year, 2016, "Brilliant Sunflower Oil" was created in partnership with Nisshin Oillio, and sunflower oil sales resumed.

Akihiro Adachi, president of Ryuunishi Farm, and Minoru Nagai of the Kitamizuho Production Cooperative created three craft beers using "2021 sunflower seeds," "rice," and "small yellow watermelon.

The 4th National Sunflower Oil Summit was held in Hokuryu Town on August 6-7, 2022. Nayoro City, Hokkaido; Sayo Town, Hyogo Prefecture; Manno Town, Kagawa Prefecture; Yakin Town, Iwate Prefecture; and Hokuryu Town participated in the summit, and each city and town made a case presentation and declared that they would actively speak out about the "power of sunflower oil and its appeal.

On October 25, 2022, Hokkaido Governor Naomichi Suzuki visited the community (Naomichi Cafe) at Sunflower Park. Sunflower oil tasting was held.

On February 15, 2023, "Ichiban Shibori Sunflower Oil" was selected as one of the 2023 High Grade Foods of North Japan.

High Grade Foods of the North" are Hokkaido products selected by charismatic buyers and top chefs for the purpose of promoting Hokkaido's food products to the nation and the world.

In April 2023, the Mizuho Production Cooperative (Minoru Nagai and Akihiro Adachi) began selling "Okome Chips" fried in sunflower oil.

The 2023 "One Sake Made with One Hokkaido Rice Award 2023" has been held since 2021 with the aim of increasing awareness of Hokkaido sake and Hokkaido sake rice brand ka, and to recover the declining demand for sake. Ryujin," made with sake produced in Hokuryu Town, won the Grand Prix.

Ryujin Shuzo Corporation (Gunma Prefecture)Ryujin Tokusen Junmai/Used rice: Kitaryu-cho產彗星