Wednesday, January 28, 2026
Sowing the seeds for the future. The inaugural general meeting of the Hokuryu Sunflower Community Development Cooperative Association was held
It was bitterly cold outside on Monday, January 19th, but the venue at Sunflower Park Hokuryu Onsen was filled with the quiet enthusiasm of people trying to carve out a path for the future.
The day marked the founding general meeting of the Hokuryu Sunflower Community Development Cooperative. The town's treasure is agriculture, and the welfare and construction sites that support our lives. A new organization was finally born to protect and develop the people who work there, with the entire town involved.
With "people," this town will shine even more
Agriculture, the main industry of Hokuryu Town, is worth approximately 4 billion yen, and the construction industry is worth 4.5 billion yen. This small town boasts amazing productivity and technological capabilities.
However, the wave of population decline is surely hitting our town as well. How can we connect people who want to work with the workplaces that need help?
This is why the Regional Development Cooperative Association was established."Specific Regional Development Business Cooperative Association" SystemThis system creates stable employment throughout the year by combining seasonal work, such as farm work in the summer and snow removal or welfare work in the winter.
This "multi-work" working style is a form of employment that truly embodies the spirit of "mutual help" that Hokuryu Town excels at.
A first in Japan: A "supporting" challenge in which a company and a town team up
What is particularly noteworthy about this establishment is the collaboration with Persol Tempstaff Co., Ltd., a professional human resources service company.
It's not just about dispatching people. The town and the company work together to accompany the workers from recruitment to training and settling in. This generous support system is a groundbreaking model case that is the first of its kind in the country.
"Even jobs that require skills and experience can be learned with warm guidance on the job."
There is nothing more reassuring for the workers and the farmers and businesses that accept them.
The determination of the founder, Kitakiyo Hirokuni
The words of Kitakiyo Hirokuni, the representative of the organizers, exuded extraordinary resolve.
"We are planning to hire three people starting in April. There may be some extremely chaotic times, but we would like to use everyone's wisdom and experience to overcome the challenges and move forward."
Starting something new is always going to be difficult, but the people of Hokuryu are not afraid of these difficulties and are trying to overcome them with their wisdom and experience, which makes you feel the strength of their character.
Mayor Sasaki talks about "numbers of hope"
Mayor Yasuhiro Sasaki, who gave a speech as a guest, spoke powerfully about the future, citing specific figures.
"If we had the people, agriculture, which produces excellent sunflower rice, could grow even further. The construction industry also has the potential to grow to 5 billion or 6 billion yen."
Instead of lamenting the labor shortage, they turned it into hope that if more people came, they could grow even more. The whole town joined forces to support them, and that was the moment when everyone in the venue became one.
Connecting work and life with the spirit of harmony
During the deliberations on the agenda, the articles of incorporation, business plans, budgets, etc. were carefully discussed, and all agenda items were approved.
To all the elected officials and related organizations, although we may be in different positions, we all have one goal: to protect the large family that is Hokuryu Town and pass it on to the next generation.
It's not just about securing a workforce. What we have here is an exchange of hearts, where we work hard together, share our skills, and support each other's lives.
The new association will become a place for matchmaking that connects people from outside the town with Hokuryu Town, leading to a future where bright smiles bloom like sunflowers.
I would like to express my sincere respect and gratitude to all those involved for their passion and hard work.
With boundless love, gratitude, and prayers for the Hokuryu Sunflower Community Development Cooperative, which is embarking on a wonderful new voyage...
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