Wednesday, October 15, 2025
- 1 A heartwarming story of Hokuryu Town woven by a circle of smiles: Volunteer Group "Smile Association" Social Gathering 2025
- 2 YouTube videos
- 3 Other photos
- 4 Related articles
A heartwarming story of Hokuryu Town woven by a circle of smiles: Volunteer Group "Smile Association" Social Gathering 2025
On Monday, October 6th at 11:00 a.m., a social gathering was held for the Hokuryu Town volunteer group "Smile Association" at Sunflower Park Hokuryu Onsen. 18 members gathered together in a friendly atmosphere, deepening friendships with smiles and enjoying a heartwarming time.
A spirit of mutual support rooted in the community
The "Smile Gathering" is part of a community coexistence project supported by the Hokuryu Town Social Welfare Council (Chairman: Yamamoto Takeshi), a social welfare corporation. At the social gathering, participants enjoyed a video presentation on Hokuryu Town this year by Hokuryu Town Portal administrators Noboru Terauchi and Ikuko (Hokuryu Town Community Supporter), a bingo game by Social Welfare Council staff, and a delicious meal, all of which created a fun time for everyone.
Heartwarming greetings
Masami Abe, Secretary: Please enjoy this social gathering, the first in a year!
Message from Chairman Iwao Nakamura
Next, Chairman Nakamura of the Smile Association gave a speech, expressing his gratitude.
"Thank you all for taking time from your busy schedules to attend the Smile Association social gathering today. I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your understanding, support, and cooperation in our daily duty activities.
This summer was really hot. As we enter October, the temperature will drop significantly, so please take care of yourself.
After this, Mr. Terauchi will show us a video summarizing the events that have taken place in the town this year. We hope that the video will include some valuable footage of your visits, and that it will give you a glimpse into the past year in Hokuryu.
Afterwards, we will have a social gathering where we will enjoy games and delicious food. Please enjoy your time and chat. It's a party for smiles, so we hope you will enjoy it with a smile and return home with a smile."
A look back at a year in Hokuryu Town through video
Noboru Terauchi, who runs the Hokuryu Town Portal, presented a video of the many events that have taken place in the town over the past year. Participants gazed at the screen, sometimes seriously, sometimes nostalgically, quietly reminiscing about the town's new trends and memorable events.
Hokuryu Town Portal - This year's Hokuryu Town video list & feature article links
Access overview from October 2024 to September 2025
- Number of visitors:370,000 people (30,000 people/month)
- Number of articles:3,760 cases (313 cases/month)
- Youtube:197 items (16 pieces/month)
- Hokuryu Town Volunteer Group "Smile Association" Exchange Meeting 2024 Held! Terauchi introduces this year's Hokuryu Town in a video (October 7, 2024)
- 42nd New Year's Day Marathon 2025 - Prayers for "good harvest, traffic safety, no accidents, and family safety" (January 1st)
- First AI-generated video: Himawari no Sato PR video "The Miracle of Sunflowers and Dragons" (January 17th)
- The 4th Hokuryu Town Ice Candle Festival 2025 will be held! The gentle glow of the ice candles will paint the night sky a deep blue, soothing to the soul (February 15th)
- Kurosengoku Business Cooperative Association 20th Anniversary Celebration 2025 - With gratitude for the enormous power of the small Kurosengoku, which can be considered a microcosm! (March 8th)
- Mayor Yasuhiro Sasaki explores the charms of Hokuryu Town [March 2025] He visits the Honoka Agricultural Cooperative to encourage the event "A Little Bit of Everyday Life for Agricultural Women" (March 22nd)
- August 4th (Monday) Himawari no Sato Flowering Status: The area in full bloom has expanded, making it the best time to see the flowers! (August 4th)
- A feast of drumming, dancing, and fireworks! The "Hokuryu Bon Odori Festival & Fireworks Festival 2025" will light up the summer nights (August 18th)
- Huge cheers! Hokuryu Town presents "Sunflower Watermelon" to the hippopotamus at Asahiyama Zoo (August 27th)
- Smiles across generations! Hokuryu Town Senior Citizens Welfare Center "Ennichi" brings together people of all ages for nostalgic fun! (August 30th)
- A whirlwind of laughter without any side effects! Geisha Boys take Hokuryu Town's Himawari University by storm, bringing the crowd into laughter with their Showa era hits and witty talk! (September 11th)
- Hokuryu Town and Creema pave the way for a new future for handmade crafts and the region (September 14th)
- A circle of smiles woven by the sounds of wood and wood at Mölkky: Kita Sorachi Block Disability Exchange Association Mölkky Tournament (September 19th)
- Happy Yellow Post! (October 2nd)
Commemorative photo
A super exciting name bingo game!
We then moved to the banquet hall for the fun part, the "Name Bingo Game."
- Each person writes a number between 1 and 24 in the squares on the bingo card they are given.
- Participants collect pieces of paper with their names written on them.
- Staff member Abe read out the names, and the person called out declared their favorite number!
- Check if the declared number is on your card.
- If the numbers line up perfectly, it's "Bingo!"
A feast of smiles and gratitude
Toast: Mineko Sato, former president
"It's really great that we were able to hold such a fun gathering after a year. I hope you will maintain your physical and mental strength so that you can continue this every year. Today, I hope that you will enjoy this delicious food and leave with smiles on your faces. Now, let's all say a toast with smiles!"
True to his words, the venue was filled with warm laughter and smiles from start to finish.
They will look back on many events that have happened in Hokuryu through video footage, reaffirm the town's spirit of harmony and compassion, return to their childhood and laugh together while playing games, and then share stories over delicious food.
With boundless love, gratitude, and smiles, we would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who attended the wonderful "Smile Exchange Gathering," where everyone had a blast and shared smiles, joy, and excitement...
YouTube videos
Other photos
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