16 Tourism promotion volunteers, etc. 1

16 Tourism promotion volunteers, etc. 1

Association of Ryutopia

In 1987, the "Ryu Topia Kai" was formed as a group to think about town development together, transcending the boundaries of agriculture, commerce, and other occupational fields. The name was taken from the town of Hokuryu, meaning dragon, and the ideal utopia. The following year (1988), the year of the dragon, the Chinese zodiac sign for the Chinese zodiac, a meeting was held on April 6 at the Mother and Child House to discuss dragon development, which was appropriate for the town's image. The dragon-making conference was attended by Yasuhiro Sasaki, Masahiro Murakami, Tsutomu Samitsu, Takeshi Shinpo, Tadahiko Komatsu, and Shosuke Komatsu of the "Commerce and Industry Youth Club" and "Ryutopia," Masato Sawada and Takayuki Kawamoto of the "Agricultural Cooperative Youth Club," Katsumi Kitajima and Hidetoshi Houra of the "Youth Organization Liaison Council," and Kazuyuki Kosaka and Kenji Zenoka of the "Hometown Youth Conference. He explained the purpose of the festival: "As the year of the dragon, the year of the northern dragon, we want to create a dragon with the power of young people and make it an event that represents the town, so we would like to ask for everyone's help.

All agreed on this. This was the beginning of a network of youth organizations, all working together to revitalize the community. We discussed various events, such as the Yukinko Festival and a home-made sledding contest, through communication and coordination. The youth organizations of Hokuryu Town decided to unite and create a dragon. This was a historic event.

On April 30, the Ryuzukuri Executive Committee meeting was held at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry building. Yasuyuki, Shigeyuki Nakayama, Hidetoshi Hasuura, Minoru Sato, Toshiharu Hatajima, and Masae Kawamoto.

The dragon-making process started on May 17, the anniversary of the settlement of this town, and lasted about two months until July, when a total of more than 400 people cooperated to complete the blue and white dragons under the guidance of Akitoshi Tsuji. For the funds, we called on the townspeople to cooperate for 500 yen for each dragon's scales, and the names of those who cooperated were written on the back of the scales.

The dragon dance is practiced by young people and performed at town events (the Himawari Festival, the town's sports festival, and the town's Bon Odori dance).

The largest project of Ryutopia was the creation of a "giant maze" in the Sunflower Village in 1990, and the admission fee was used to fund activities and soil improvement measures to prevent continuous crop damage. In addition, lectures, concerts, and cultural groups have also been supported.

The "Dragon Float" is a commemorative project for the 100th anniversary of the founding of Hokuryu Town. The dolly and the doll were made by Mr. Tadaaki Nakamura, a skilled craftsman in the town, and the dragon on the float was made by Mr. Akitoshi Tsuji and Mr. Kazuo Yoshimoto after about 4 months of hard work and struggle. This float is an asset and face of the town, and adds flowers to various events.

In 2004, we lent our Hakuryu to Hokkaido Medical University for the 13th Yosakoi Soran Festival, and three members from Hokuryu Taiko participated in the festival as supporters, winning second place. This led to Ryutopia's request to Hokkaido Medical University for a friendship performance at the Himawari Festival, and they have made the festival more exciting every year.

The largest event of the "Hozumu Tamago Sorachi Daigai Gathering 2.7 Mangoku Kuban Kai" was held on April 24, 1993, at the Senior Citizen's Welfare Center in Hokuryu Town. The event was planned and produced by Tsutomu Sako, with Hokkaido Governor Takahiro Yokoji, Sorachi Branch Office Director Hosokawa, and local Mayor Yamamoto in attendance, and was attended by over 200 local development group members from 27 municipalities in the Sorachi region.

The lectures were given by Mr. Ryoji Kikura, President of the Agricultural Cooperative Association, on the theme of "Food and Agriculture in the Age of the Earth," a treasure of food, and Prof. Yesuko Yamanaka of Hokkai Gakuen University on the theme of "Expectations for a Rural Sorachi Overflowing with Countryside," a treasure of nature.

At the Kaiyume Report Meeting, each of the regional revitalization groups in the region reported on their activities. Tatsutopia reported on the Himawari Festival and Tatsutopia's activities, and an exchange meeting was held with Governor Yokoji. In the entertainment (Yumedashi part), Ryutopia presented a dragon dance and skit, a performance by Warabiza (Akita Prefecture), and a yosakoi soran by Kitamon Shinkin Bank.

Hokuryu Town Chamber of Commerce and Industry Youth Club

Established in 1966, the company installed designs inspired by the Heinari sunflower at various stores and public facilities. In 1991, they hosted a "Beer Party" at the 5th Sunflower Festival Flower Festa, which they continue to hold to this day. In 1988, the Yukinko Festival was held, and since 1997, the festival has been held at the town ski resort in conjunction with the town's skiing competition, and has been called the "Sunflower Snow Festa".

In 1998, the company held the "River is My Friend" project for the release of young fish in the Huetabetsu River! Wanpaku Summer Festival" was held in 1998, and efforts are being made to preserve the natural environment. In 2005, a 1-meter-long trout was confirmed in the Shodogawa River.

He joined Team North Dragon in 2013 and is involved in the management of North Dragon with the agricultural cooperative youth club and the staff of the agricultural cooperative office.

JA Kitasorachi Agricultural Cooperative Youth Club, Hokuryu Branch

In 1990, the agricultural cooperative youth club plowed and sowed in the sunflower village. They also hold events such as rice cake pounding and rice cake throwing during the Sunflower Festival. They also mow the grass around the tourist center and parking lot.

Cooperative collaboration between the Youth Section of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Youth Section of the Agricultural Cooperative

North Dragon's activities have also created a movement to enliven and revitalize the town through collaboration between the youth of agriculture and commerce, with the Youth Club of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the town hall staff taking charge when agriculture is busy.

Hokuryu Town Chamber of Commerce and Industry Women's Club

Established in 1965, the company set up "flower pots" as an environmental beautification campaign mainly in the city center, and opened a stall and held a sunflower market at the Bon Odori Festival of the Himawari Festival.

When Sayoko Fujii was the head of the Women's Department of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, she came up with ideas one after another to create "sunflower goods. Brooches, aprons, T-shirts, and purse bags were all handmade. She even printed and sold towels.

Hokuryu Town Construction Association

Established in 1977, it has held the "Himawari Fair" since the 18th Himawari Festival in 2004, with mini games, goldfish scooping, yo-yo fishing, raffles, etc. Half of the proceeds are donated to the Japanese Red Cross Society. In March 2005, with the opening of the high-standard road, the "Hokuryu Sunflower Interchange" was opened, and sunflowers have been sown in its parking strip.

Hokuryu Town Technical Association

Established in 1969, it has produced and donated "handmade wooden benches" since 2004, created a "straw hut watchtower" in 2008, produced a "triple water wheel" in 2009, and painted a tourist information center.