Celebration! Hokuryu-cho Sunflower Oil Reclamation Project receives the FY 2020 "Hometown Creation Grand Prize" Local Government Commendation (Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Award) & Hokkaido Governor's Certificate of Appreciation for "Achieving 5,000 Days of Zero Deaths from Traffic Accidents" Ceremony

Friday, February 5, 2021

On February 4 (Thu), a ceremony was held in the reception room of the Hokuryu Town Hall to present the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications FY 2020 "Hometown Creation Awards" to local governments, and a ceremony to present the Hokkaido Governor's Certificate of Appreciation for achieving 5,000 days with no deaths from traffic accidents.

The award was presented by Hiroshi Takanohata, Director General of the Sorachi Regional Promotion Bureau, to Yutaka Sano, Mayor of Hokuryu Town, who received a certificate and a plaque.

Hometown Creation Grand Prize" Local Government Award for 2020

The "Furusato Zukuri Award" is given to organizations and individuals who aim to enhance their passion and desire for hometown development and to build a rich and vibrant local community. Established in 1983, this year marks the 38th award, and 1,120 organizations and individuals have received the award to date.

This year, 21 organizations and 8 individuals received awards, including individual, group, and local government awards. Six organizations, including Hokuryu Town, received local government awards. This was the first time for Hokuryu Town to receive this award, and the only one in Hokkaido.

This award was given in recognition of Hokuryu Town's efforts to revive sunflower oil production, which had been temporarily halted, in cooperation with a major edible oil manufacturing company, Nisshin Oillio Group Inc. to brand sunflowers as a core local resource, and to develop and expand sales of high-quality sunflower oil products.

Certificate and plaque awarded at the 2020 Hometown Creation Awards for Local Governments

Your organization has made great efforts to revitalize the community and has achieved outstanding results in hometown development. Therefore, we commend your organization. Ryoichi Takeda, Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications, January 28, 2021

Greetings from Hiroshi Takanohata, Director General, Sorachi Regional Promotion Bureau

Congratulations on receiving the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Award. The reason for receiving the award, "to revive sunflower oil, a specialty product that had ceased to exist, and to make it useful for regional development," was recognized as a worthy activity among all the activities in the country.

We hope that this award will give momentum to the town's future plans to develop the town around the sunflowers. We congratulate you on this award.

Greeting from Mayor Yutaka Sano of Hokuryu Town

We are thrilled to have received such a high evaluation from all over the country for the 2020 Hometown Creation Awards. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mr. Takano, Director General of the Bureau, for conveying the award to us. We will continue to cherish the town's treasures, the sunflowers and sunflower oil, as we work together as a town to create an attractive town. We look forward to your continued guidance. Thank you very much.

Sunflower Oil Birth History

1980: Started sunflower oil production
2003: Production suspended due to aging facilities.
2016: A lecture by Hisashi Sonehara, advisor for the creation of regional power, was held in Hokuryu Town, which led to a partnership with the Nisshin Oillio Group and the start of the Hokuryu Town Sunflower Oil Reclamation Project.
2017: A full year of product development of "Brilliant Sunflower Oil" produced in Hokuryu Town was realized.
2018: Launch of a new product, "Roasted Sunflower Oil," an additive-free, first-pressed, ultra-premium virgin oil. The same year, a new product "Sunflower Oil Dressing with Kuro Sengoku Soybeans" was launched.
2021: Awarded the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Grand Prize "2020 Hometown Creation Grand Prize" for local government.

Product Announcement of Brilliant Sunflower Oil (Hokuryu Town X Nisshin Oillio Group) - Portal of Hokuryu Town (Hokkaido), the proudest sunflower village in Japan

Brilliant Sunflower Oil" is made from the first pressing without additives. It also contains more than 80% oleic acid and is rich in vitamin E...

Sunflower oil sales promotion activities

In the five years since the revival of sunflower oil, sunflower oil sales promotion activities have been actively developed.

. 2017:Sunflower Oil Reclamation Project Briefing & Tasting for Town Residents, ,Mayor Yutaka Sano reports on the commercialization of "San San Sunflower Oil" on the Hidaka Conversation Show (STV Radio).
∙ 2018:Seminar to learn about sunflower oil & lunch to savor (Sapporo), ,Petit Marche @ Farm Aid Ginza, promotion of Hokuryu-cho Sunflower Rice & Brilliant Sunflower Oil
. 2019:Sales fair of Hokuryu Town's specialty products "Sunflower Oil", "Sunflower Rice" and "Kuro Sengoku Soybeans" at Mitsui Outlet Park Kitahiroshima
2020:Sorachi Fair 2020 (Hokkaido Dosanko Plaza Sapporo), ,Sunflower Tourism and Products Fair" held solely in Hokuryu Town, 2020, Chikaho

We participate in various other events to promote the attractiveness of the Hokuryu Town sunflower oil.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the many people who have been involved in the revival of sunflower oil in Hokuryu, including the growers who lovingly nurture the sunflowers in Hokuryu, the major companies involved in the creation of high-quality sunflower oil, the people involved in the commercialization and manufacturing of processed products, and the deep passion of the town office staff involved in the sales promotion of such sunflower oil products. We would like to express our sincere appreciation for the efforts of everyone involved in the revival of sunflower oil produced in Hokuryu Town.

With endless gratitude to everyone involved.

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)

Certificate of Appreciation from the Governor of Hokkaido for achieving 5,000 days of zero fatalities in traffic accidents

This was followed by the presentation of a letter of appreciation from the Governor of Hokkaido for "achieving 5,000 days of zero fatalities in traffic accidents.

With the start of the new year 2021 (Risshun) and the beginning of Risshun (the first day of spring), the town of Hokuryu has begun to shine with the light of the future, a bright omen for the overlapping double celebration.

We sincerely wish for the continued growth and bright future of Hokuryu Town!

Related Articles

◇ Photography and Editing: Noboru Terauchi Reporting and Writing: Ikuko Terauchi