Tuesday, January 14, 2025
On Saturday, January 11th, from 12:00, the 2025 Wa Neighborhood Association New Year's Annual Meeting was held at the Wa District Community Center. Approximately 36 members of the Wa Neighborhood Association gathered for the grand New Year's Annual Meeting.
- 1 Reiwa Neighborhood Association Annual New Year Meeting for 2025
- 1.1 MC: Hideyuki Hasegawa (Reiwa 7th year Wa Neighborhood Association 4-1 Group Leader)
- 1.2 Announcement of the Kobayashi couple's remarriage
- 1.3 Greetings from Ryuji Hagio (Head of the 4-2nd Group of the Wa Neighborhood Association for 2025)
- 1.4 Visiting the Shinto altar
- 1.5 Sacred sake given to guests
- 1.6 Greetings from Nobuhiro Yamada, Chairman of the Neighborhood Association
- 1.7 Greetings from Mayor Yasuhiro Sasaki of Hokuryu Town
- 1.8 Toast
- 1.9 Introduction of the will
- 1.10 Banquets and lunch boxes
- 1.11 bingo game
- 1.12 Former Chairman Kazuyuki Kosaka gives three cheers
- 2 Youtube Video
- 3 More Photos
- 4 Related Articles
Reiwa Neighborhood Association Annual New Year Meeting for 2025
MC: Hideyuki Hasegawa (Reiwa 7th year Wa Neighborhood Association 4-1 Group Leader)
Announcement of the Kobayashi couple's remarriage
Ahead of the annual New Year's meeting, local association member Toshiya Kobayashi announced that he had remarried.
Greetings from Ryuji Hagio (Head of the 4-2nd Group of the Wa Neighborhood Association for 2025)
"Happy New Year everyone.
Last year began with dark and heavy news, with the Noto Peninsula earthquake occurring on New Year's Day, but I believe this year everyone has been able to welcome the New Year in peace.
Last year's officers filled out a questionnaire and other surveys. They worked hard to decide how to hold this New Year's party, and with the guidance of Mr. Hasegawa, we were able to set it up in the form of today's annual New Year's party.
I'm still unfamiliar with the situation and I'm sure there will be areas that I can't cover, but although we have limited time, I hope that you will use this opportunity to deepen friendships within the neighborhood association. Thank you very much."
Visiting the Shinto altar
Following the neighborhood association president, Yamada Nobuhiro, we faced the Shinto altar and bowed twice, clapped twice, and bowed once.
Sacred sake given to guests
Sacred sake was served to everyone.
Greetings from Nobuhiro Yamada, Chairman of the Neighborhood Association
"Happy New Year everyone.
On a personal note, at the end of the year general meeting I was asked to take on the important role of chairman of the neighborhood association for the year. I will do my best to fulfill this role for the year.
For the past 10 years, the Wa Neighborhood Association has held a New Year's party on New Year's Day, January 1. We have held the party on January 1 in keeping with our history and traditions, but due to the changing times and changing needs of daily life, we have heard that people would like to change the date of the party from New Year's Day.
I would especially like to thank Mr. Hasegawa for deciding on today's schedule at the general meeting at the end of the year and for his efforts in coordinating everything from providing the information to the overall arrangements. Thank you very much. I look forward to working with you again in the future.
Next, I would like to report on two points.
I'm sure you all already know this. Mr. Masatoshi Yamagishi is absent from today's meeting, but last fall he was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Rosette, a very honorable award.
The rules of the Wa Neighborhood Association state that we should hold a celebration for the recipients of the awards. However, today, Mr. Yamagishi is chairing a haiku gathering and cannot miss it, so he will be absent from the Wa Neighborhood Association's annual New Year's meeting. I would like to take this opportunity to report on the awards.
The other point was also an issue at the general meeting, but two years ago, Mr. Ishida built a house and has been living there ever since. We had been asking him to join the neighborhood association for some time, and we are happy to report that he has now joined the association. He is currently residing in a special nursing home for the elderly. Those are the two points.
During this winter season, from December to the end of the year, it snowed every day so much that it seemed as if the sky was breaking, and I imagine that you must have had a very hard time shoveling the snow. I was worried about what would happen over the New Year holidays, but on New Year's Day, we welcomed in a refreshing and good new year.
Just when I thought it would continue like this, it has been snowing since the 2nd, and I think everyone is having a hard time every day removing the snow. Yesterday, the Sapporo Regional Meteorological Observatory issued a long-term forecast for the next month. It said it would be warm and there would be little snow. This year, spring is supposed to come early in March, so I'd like to spend my time looking forward to that.
"Finally, I would like to conclude my greetings by praying that this year will be filled with smiles and good health for all of you. Thank you for your continued support this year," said Yamada, the town council president.
Greetings from Mayor Yasuhiro Sasaki of Hokuryu Town
"Happy New Year. Thank you very much.
I feel that the times are changing with Yamada-san becoming the head of the neighborhood association. Congratulations to Kobayashi-san on your marriage.
Hokuryu Town has 10 neighborhood associations, and the current population is 1,593, about 7 people below the 1,600 population. People come and go, but we are making arrangements to deal with the current situation through various policies.
Kokowa neighborhood association is the fourth of the 10 neighborhood associations to hold a New Year's party, and only the fourth neighborhood association will be holding a New Year's party.
Thank you for all your hard work in setting up the dates and other necessary events. It's wonderful to be able to see all of your faces and talk to you at the New Year's party. We've tried our best to continue holding various events where we can talk to you, such as the winter New Year's party and summer barbecue.
I'll introduce him to you. When I became mayor, Mr. Okuda, who was the construction section chief, became deputy mayor. He is a very light-footed and quick-witted person. Please talk to everyone, including the neighborhood association, about various things on a regular basis. Thank you.
The superintendent of education was also replaced on New Year's Day. Yoshiki Tanaka (68 years old, former Iwamizawa City Board of Education member) lived in Hokuryu Town until he was 22 years old. His mother lived in Hokuryu Town until she passed away at the age of 86. She was an English teacher and also worked as a lecturer for the Board of Education, and taught children many things. He is the son of such a teacher. He has also been a principal for a long time, and I think he is someone who can be trusted with educational administration.
Another thing is that the community center, elementary school, and junior high school are all very old buildings from the 1970s, and although we have been putting up with it, we are reaching our limit. A policy has been decided to merge the elementary and junior high schools into one school with a 9-year compulsory education system. We are now moving forward with integrating the old community center building into a complex facility.
As the article in the Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper stated, it will cost over 5 billion yen. Since then, we have received various opinions. Many people have said, "What are we going to do with that much money?" However, we have the financial resources, so we can build it. We will respond appropriately to all of your concerns. We appreciate your understanding. We would like you to understand that we are welcoming a new superintendent of education in order to ensure the quality of education as we build the building.
Hokuryu Town is also going through a period of change, but we are considering measures to ensure that not even one person loses the population. Thank you for your support. What we discussed at today's New Year's party will be shared with various neighborhood associations. As a result, we will decide what we will do and how to do it, and then we will present it to you.
"I hope that today will be a good day and that we can all work together to build a bright and happy town. I look forward to working with you all again this year," said Mayor Sasaki.
Toast
With everyone in attendance, elder Kaori Sato led a toast.
"Happy New Year to everyone. I was nominated because I'm the oldest.
We have been learning a lot from Mayor Sasaki and the chairman of the neighborhood association, Mr. Yamada. This year's New Year's party was held on the 11th, but the weather was better than ever, and many people came to the party.
We have just heard some happy news about Kobayashi-san getting married.
What I think is great about this neighborhood association is that it has a mayor and deputy mayor. I have high hopes that they will start the neighborhood association and make Hokuryu Town a better place.
"I would like to propose a toast to Mayor Sasaki, Deputy Mayor Okuda, and everyone else for their continued good health. Please join in. Cheers!" said Sato.
Introduction of the will
Noriaki Nakajima introduced the donations he made for our annual New Year's meeting.
Banquets and lunch boxes
bingo game
Former Chairman Kazuyuki Kosaka gives three cheers
"We had a very enjoyable time. Thank you very much. I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to everyone in Group 4 who was on duty for making all the preparations without a hitch.
We pray that this year, Reiwa 7, will be an even better year than last year, and ask that you all join together in chanting "Banzai Ippatsu Banzai" (cheers for the New Year) three times to start the year off right. Banzai to the Wa Neighborhood Association and to everyone's happiness!"
As we welcome the new year, everyone in the neighborhood association will gather together to renew their spirits and deepen their friendships in a friendly and enjoyable atmosphere, with boundless love, gratitude, and prayers.
Youtube Video
More Photos
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◇ Reporting and writing by Ikuko Terauchi (Photography and editorial assistance by Noboru Terauchi)
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