Hokuryu Town Sunflower Longevity Association Federation Kanpu-kai 2024 A bright and lively social gathering for the first time in five years, filled with friendly and fun conversation!

Thursday, November 14, 2024

On Monday, November 11th from 11am, the "Kitaryū Town Sunflower Longevity Association Federation (Chairman Kawada Koji) Maple Viewing Meeting" was held at Sunflower Park Kitaryū Onsen.

Hokuryu Town Sunflower Longevity Association Federation Kanpukai

More than 80 energetic elderly people (aged 65 and over) from each neighborhood association in Kitaryū Town participated in the event, and it was a fun and harmonious event filled with laughter from start to finish, allowing people to deepen their connections with each other.

Shuttle bus around the town

To get to the venue, Sunflower Park Hokuryu Onsen, a shuttle bus will take you to and from each home! Thank you very much!!!

Moderator: Michito Nakamura, Secretary General of Hokuryu Town Social Welfare Association

Opening remarks: Koji Kawada, Chairman of the Hokuryu Town Sunflower Longevity Association

"Hello everyone. The COVID-19 pandemic that has plunged people around the world into fear has finally subsided, and this Kanpukai event is being held for the first time in five years.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all of you for attending this event. Thank you very much.

Hokuryu Town is a town where agriculture is the main industry. The Sunflower Longevity Association has felt that this maple viewing event has great significance as a culmination of the year's harvest.

This year, the first event in a long time, was fortunately blessed with good weather since spring. Thanks to the farmers' hard work and skills, the yields and quality of each crop are high, and rice has broken out of the low price category, bringing a brighter economic situation for farmers. We are very pleased that this is leading to the prosperity of Hokuryu Town.

I would like to thank Mayor Sasaki for attending today.

I hope that you will all enjoy this time together as you look back on this fruitful year.

Please enjoy your time here. Thank you very much," said Chairman Kawada.

Greeting from Mayor Yasuhiro Sasaki

"Hello everyone. This is my first time attending the Kanpukai meeting.

Eight months have passed since I took over the role, carrying on the passionate aspirations of former Mayor Sano. It has only been less than a year, so I am literally a "rookie" mayor, just like the season suggests.

Everyone, we would like to hear your opinions on various aspects and use them in developing our town. Thank you very much.

Very good harvest

As Chairman Kawada just mentioned, we have had a very good harvest this fall. People say that rice prices are high, but the harvest was in line with the crop conditions, and we were able to harvest a good amount and good quality rice, so I think this is the "real price of rice."

We would like to listen carefully to your requests so that these good things can continue.

It's okay if it's small

Yesterday, the Sapporo Hokuryu Association held a year-end social gathering. Thirty people from Sapporo who miss their hometown participated. Ryoji Kikura, an honorary citizen of Hokuryu Town, also attended.

At that time, I was asked, "The population of Hokuryu Town is also decreasing. What will you do?" and asked to say a few words. Indeed, the population of Hokuryu Town is currently 1,604. This morning, a town hall employee got married to his wife. On October 1st last month, the population was 1,596, falling below 1,600.

However, in the past week or two, more families have moved in and young people from the town office have registered with their wives, bringing the total number of people to over 1,600.

Increasing population is an extremely difficult thing to do, but the members of the Hokuryu Association who live in Sapporo told us, "It doesn't matter if your town is small. If your town has clear aspirations and a strong will, that's a wonderful thing, so do your best."

I had imagined that the members of the association would tell me to "do more and more things to revitalize the town and increase the population," but instead they greeted me with a very warm greeting: "That's not it! Hokuryu Town has many good points, so please develop them."

Today we had over 80 people in attendance.

A wonderful name: "Hokuryu Town Sunflower Longevity Association"

I asked Mr. Yotsuji, who was previously the president of the "Old People's Club," if he could consider changing the name somehow, since the term "Old People's Club" doesn't match the energetic elderly people in this town. I heard that he then renamed the club "Hokuryu Town Sunflower Longevity Club." I think it's a really good name.

Organizational Reform and Children's Future Longevity

Kitaryū Town will be carrying out organizational reforms in various areas.

It would be great if migration and settlement would lead to an increase in the population, but we would like to aim for it to remain at its current size.

As we carry out organizational reform, we are considering a proposal called "Children's Future Longevity."

It's about thinking about the children who are yet to be born and thinking about how they will live long lives.

During this time, we would like to have various discussions with you all and listen to your opinions, while improving and changing the content in order to come up with new measures, and proceed carefully, step by step.

The place I least want to go is the town hall.

One time, a townsperson told me, "The place I least want to go to is the town hall!"

This is a problem, so I told the staff, "When the townspeople come to the town hall, first of all, smile and greet them! And let's make it easy to go to each department! " I'm thinking of changing the organization little by little so that the town hall becomes a place where the townspeople can easily go and ask for advice.

I want to listen to various opinions and give shape to them.

In the future, we would like to hear your various opinions and put them into shape.
Today, I will pour each of you a drink, so please feel free to speak at that time.

"I hope that you will have a fun time at today's maple viewing event. I look forward to working with you. Thank you for coming today!" said Mayor Sasaki.

Introduction of Naohiro Hosokawa, Chief of the Resident Affairs Division

Toast by: Kazuo Shibasaki, Vice Chairman

"Hello everyone, I am very happy to see so many of our friends gathered together today and to see them in such good spirits.

This is the first Kanpu-kai event in five years, and we have not been able to hold it very often until now, so it is great to be able to see everyone looking in good health in this way.

We are now in an age where we are all aging, but I am well aware that you are all healthy and working hard, each of you active on the front lines and in your own individual positions.

In any case, being able to participate while having a positive impact on those around you is best if you are healthy both physically and mentally. With that in mind, I would like to offer a toast to your continued good health.

Cheers to the Hokuryu Town Sunflower Longevity Association! Cheers!"

Delicious lunch box

Banquet

Get toilet paper by playing the dice game!

Throw the dice and get toilet paper according to the number you roll!
Aim for the perfect score and take on the challenge!

Closing remarks: Ms. Etsuko Aoki, Vice President of the Hokuryu Town Sunflower Longevity Association

"Thank you everyone for your hard work! Please be careful on your way home!

We will also be having a New Year's party in January. We would like to conclude the year with a "ippon-jime" (a traditional Japanese closing ceremony).

Well then, here you go, Pon! Thank you very much!"

We all boarded the hot spring shuttle bus and headed home.

With boundless love, gratitude and prayers, the Hokuryu Town Sunflower Longevity Association Federation Kanpu-kai held its first bright and lively social gathering in five years, enjoying the passing autumn weather and engaging in friendly and fun conversations.

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More Photos

Photos (84 photos) from the Hokuryu Town Sunflower Longevity Association Federation Maple Viewing Association 2024 are here >>

　
◇ Reporting and writing by Ikuko Terauchi (Photography and editorial assistance by Noboru Terauchi)