Celebration! Hokuryu Town (Sunflower Oil Reclamation Project) was selected to receive the "Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, FY 2020 Hometown Creation Awards" local government commendation (Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Commendation)!

Friday, January 22, 2021

According to a press release from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) on January 21, 2020, Hokuryu Town (Mayor Yutaka Sano) has been selected to receive the "Local Government Commendation (Minister's Commendation)" at the "2020 Furusato Zukuri Grand Awards" organized by the MIC. Hokuryu Town is the only town in Hokkaido to receive this award.

The ceremony scheduled for Thursday, January 28 will not be held in order to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus infection.

Hokuryu Town receives the "Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications FY 2020 Hometown Creation Grand Prize" for local government commendation.

This case was highly evaluated for "revival and revitalization of oilseed sunflower cultivation and sunflower oil production and sales for the purpose of making edible sunflower oil.

Six local governments received the award nationwide. They are Hokuryu Town, Hokkaido; Industrial Technology Center, Nagano Prefecture; Inabe City, Mie Prefecture; Ikoma City, Nara Prefecture; Minami Town, Tokushima Prefecture; and Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture.

Evaluation Points for the Town of Hokuryu's Local Government Recognition Award

According to the detailed document "Evaluated Points" by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), the following is a list of points that were evaluated

This is an example of a successful combination of a local company and a local product. The company has sales channels, so it has the advantage of being able to sell its products well, which is promising.
It is wonderful that the content of the initiative is extremely specific, specializing in sunflowers as a regional resource, developing the only high-quality product in Japan, and linking this to the establishment of a regional brand and the fostering of civic pride. The deeper the focus of such a one-point initiative, the greater the potential for future expansion.

What is the Hometown Creation Award?

The purpose of the "Furusato Zukuri Award" is to promote enthusiasm and passion for hometown building and to build a rich and vibrant community by recognizing organizations and individuals who are working hard to improve their "hometowns" throughout the country.

The award was established in 1983, and this year marks the 38th time it has been presented. Up to now, 1,120 organizations and individuals have received the award. Until FY2013, the award has been implemented as the "Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Award for Regional Development. (Cited from the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications)

Related Articles

Year 2020

interpoint (interword separation)Held the Hokuryu Town "Sunflower Tourism and Product Fair" at 2020 Chikaho, promoting the town with all Hokuryu!(November 5, 2020)
interpoint (interword separation)Face-to-face sales of specialty products from Hokuryu Town @ Sorachi Fair 2020 (Hokkaido Dosanko Plaza Sapporo)(October 19, 2020)
interpoint (interword separation)Hokuryu-cho specialty products "Sunflower Oil, Tanakaramochi Rice Crackers, Buckwheat Seed Flakes, and Kuro Sengoku Don" are now available at Hokkaido Ouen Todok (Coop Sapporo)!(May 8, 2020)

2019

　
interpoint (interword separation)Kuro Sengoku Soybeans & Brilliant Sunflower Oil & Dressing" Gift Set [Introducing the Delicious Food of Hokuryu Town!(Dec. 5, 2019)
interpoint (interword separation)Hokuryu Sunflower Balm is now on sale! Made with 80% sunflower oil from Hokuryu Town, no chemical additives(July 29, 2019)
interpoint (interword separation)Sunflower Fresh Bread is now on sale! Using "roasted sunflower oil" produced in Hokuryu-cho(July 20, 2019)
interpoint (interword separation)Sales fair of Hokuryu Town's specialty products "Sunflower Oil", "Sunflower Rice" and "Kuro Sengoku Soybeans" at Mitsui Outlet Park Kitahiroshima(July 1, 2019)

2018

interpoint (interword separation)New "Ramen Salad" using Ajidokoro Hachihachi's original "Kuro Sengoku and Sunflower Oil Dressing" (Himawari Tourist Center)(July 19, 2018)
interpoint (interword separation)Kuro Sengoku Soybean Sunflower Oil Dressing is relaunched!(July 14, 2018)
interpoint (interword separation)Petit Marche @ Farm Aid Ginza 2018 Summer, Promotion of Hokuryu-cho Sunflower Rice & Brilliant Sunflower Oil(July 11, 2018)
interpoint (interword separation)Sunflower Rice and Sunflower Oil Sales Promotion Activity "Play. Live and Grow. Let's go to SATOYAMA & SATOUMI 2018" at Pacifico Yokohama (Yokohama City)(April 10, 2018)
interpoint (interword separation)In search of "fresh pressed sunflower oil" pressed on the spot @ Research presentation by the Food Planning and Development Laboratory, Dairy University(March 9, 2018)
interpoint (interword separation)More than 200 people attended the seminar on sunflower oil and tasted sunflower oil at a lunch meeting in Sapporo.(Feb 19, 2018)
interpoint (interword separation)First pressed "roasted sunflower oil" made from 100% sunflower seeds produced in Hokuryu-cho is newly launched at Sunflower Park Hokuryu Onsen!(Feb. 13, 2018)

2017

interpoint (interword separation)Beiryu Town Product Exhibition "Rice, Kuro Sengoku Soybeans, Sunflower Oil" at Yu Mao Ya (Taichung, Taiwan)(Dec. 11, 2017)
interpoint (interword separation)Sunflower Oil Reclamation Project Featured in Hokkaido Creation Journal "Creation(July 12, 2017)
interpoint (interword separation)Mayor Yutaka Sano reports on the commercialization of "San San Sunflower Oil" on the Hidaka Conversation Show (STV Radio).(Feb. 23, 2017)
interpoint (interword separation)Brilliant Sunflower Oil (Hokuryu Town X Nisshin Oillio Group) Product Presentation(Feb. 17, 2017)
interpoint (interword separation)Sunflower Oil Regeneration Project Briefing for townspeople & tasting (recipes available)(Jan. 28, 2017)

interpoint (interword separation)Harvesting and drying of sunflowers for oil begins(Sep 28, 2017)
interpoint (interword separation)Agricultural cooperative corporation HONOKA [No.21] Aerial view of weeding a field for sunflower oil(June 15, 2017)
interpoint (interword separation)Agricultural Cooperative Honoka [No.15] Harvesting sunflower seeds for sunflower oil(Sep 29, 2016)

2016

interpoint (interword separation)Togo-san's oil story(May 2016 - December 2016)

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