Thursday, April 2, 2026
At this important turning point in history, we have decided to return to our roots and update our profile.
Who we are, where we come from, and where we are going.
This is proof of our own "promise" to properly deliver not only the "content" of the information, but also the "feelings" and "responsibility" that are contained within it.
[Reference: Points on which AI evaluates information: ◉ Originality of the article, ◉ Quality and accuracy of the content, ◉ Credibility of the author (who wrote it)]
Operator Profile
Introduction: A ray of hope found in the depths of despair: Hokuryu Town
In 2009, we were at a crossroads in our lives.
My husband, Noboru, was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease at a hospital in Tokyo. It felt like the beginning of a long tunnel with no visible exit.
However, we did not give up. We had the opportunity to work with Isao Senba, the representative of the national organization for families of young-onset dementia, "Saisei no Kai," a native of Hokuryu Town, and a second opinion obtained at a hospital in Hokkaido ruled out dementia. This incident was a major turning point that made us resolve to "live the rest of our lives in a place where we truly want to live, with a fulfilling heart."
And then he came across Hokuryu Town, the town of sunflowers that saved his life.
Gratitude for nature and the philosophy that "food is life" are deeply rooted in this town. What melted our hearts more than anything was the warmth of "harmony" and "compassion" that permeates the townspeople.
Since then, we have worked together to publish more than 20,000 articles. We hope to spread empathy for the "spirit of harmony and compassion" that is a small, yet above all precious, part of the daily life of this town to the rest of the world. We strongly believe that this is the role that we can play, precisely because we have found light in the depths of despair.
About the operator: Two people make one
Our relationship is like that of the sun and the moon; we can only become "full" by supporting each other.
Noboru Terauchi
【in charge】 Website management and editing / photography / video editing
[Career] Born in Urawa City, Saitama Prefecture in 1956. Due to his father's involvement in the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, he moved to Tokyo from Komaki City, Aichi Prefecture in the third grade of elementary school. After graduating from Fuchu Fifth Junior High School, Tokyo Metropolitan Kunitachi High School, and Tokyo University of Mercantile Marine, he traveled to more than 20 countries around the world as a tanker navigator on international routes. Later, through a fortunate encounter, he married Ikuko in 1982. After the shipping company went bankrupt, he changed jobs several times before joining the Nippon Foundation in 1992. In 1996, he launched the foundation's website, and from the early days of the internet, he served as Public Relations Manager, Information Management Manager, and Corporate Planning Manager, deepening his knowledge of information dissemination via the internet. In 2010, he moved to Hokuryu Town. In 2011, he launched the "Hokuryu Town Portal" and has been working to revitalize the town as a "Regional Revitalization Cooperation Team Member" and "Community Support Staff Member." He self-taught himself how to set up and operate a WordPress website and obtained a Photo Master Level 1 certification.
[As the sun] I play the role of the "sun" that determines the portal's course, utilizing my logical thinking and the social conventions I have cultivated. However, it is the moonlight beside me that shines on me and shows me the path I should take. Together, we hope to navigate the vast ocean that is Hokuryu Town's future.
Ikuko Terauchi
【in charge】 Article writing / Content planning / Photo selection
[Career] Born in Kokura, Fukuoka Prefecture in 1956, she moved to Tokyo in her sixth year of elementary school, where she became classmates with Noboru at Fuchu Fifth Junior High School. She later graduated from Tokyo Junshin Girls' High School and Seisen Women's University. In 2006, she underwent artificial hip surgery. After that, she worked at the Tokyo headquarters of the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations (JA Zen-Noh) as part of the disabled quota. She is a certified librarian and vegetable sommelier junior. In 2010, she decided to move to Hokuryu Town with her husband, Noboru, and also serves as a local revitalization cooperation team member and village supporter.
[As the moon] I play the role of the "moon," breathing heart into articles with my intuitive and emotional sensibilities. I am able to shine because of the light of the sun. My greatest joy is continuing to deliver a warm light that touches people's hearts, while understanding each other's pain and sharing their joy.
The future we envision: A town with 1,500 "related residents" who connect with each other on a deeper level.
What we aim for through information dissemination is not simply population growth.
Mayor Yasuhiro Sasaki shares the spirit of harmony and compassion that is deeply rooted in Hokuryu Town, and aims to create a town where people connected by heart will become involved in the town from all over the world."Related population: 1,600 people"is the future.
There, people do not dominate each other, but rather, as in the Jomon period, they do what they can with sincerity and support each other.
It is not just a town of economic prosperity, but is also a city of heartfelt interaction, with smiles and cheerful greetings exchanged, making it a very international town.
It is my sincere hope that the Hokuryu Town Portal will serve as a bridge to that ideal future.
Photography, editing, and website management: Noboru Terauchi◇
