{"id":68219,"date":"2026-01-09T09:36:49","date_gmt":"2026-01-09T00:36:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/portal.hokuryu.info\/?p=68219"},"modified":"2026-01-09T11:15:16","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T02:15:16","slug":"%e9%9b%aa%e3%81%ae%e4%b8%ad%e3%81%ab%e5%92%b2%e3%81%8f%e3%80%81%e4%bf%a1%e9%a0%bc%e3%81%a8%e5%8d%94%e5%83%8d%e3%81%ae%e7%ac%91%e9%a1%94%e3%80%82%e4%bd%90%e3%80%85%e6%9c%a8%e5%ba%b7%e5%ae%8f-%e7%94%ba","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/portal.hokuryu.info\/en\/68219\/","title":{"rendered":"Smiles of trust and cooperation bloom in the snow. Mayor Sasaki Yasuhiro visits neighborhood association presidents in the New Year"},"content":{"rendered":"

Friday, January 9, 2026<\/p>\n

On Wednesday, January 7th, Hokuryu Town was blanketed in a blanket of snow. On this day, Mayor Sasaki Yasuhiro visited the homes of each of the neighborhood association presidents in the town's 10 districts, offering New Year's greetings. "Please help us build our town together," the mayor said, and the presidents responded with warm smiles. Their hands-in-hand expressions embodied the "spirit of harmony" and "spirit of collaboration" that Hokuryu Town holds dear. We bring you a story of the warmth and bonds between people that stands out especially in the harsh winter.<\/div>\n

Smiles of trust and cooperation bloom in the snow. Mayor Sasaki Yasuhiro visits neighborhood association presidents in the New Year<\/h2>\n

A New Year's ceremony to solidify our footing and move forward together into the future<\/h3>\n

On Wednesday, January 7th, as the light of the new year poured down on the snowy fields, Hokuryu Town Mayor Yasuhiro Sasaki visited the homes of neighborhood association presidents to offer New Year's greetings.<\/p>\n

It's winter in Hokuryu Town, and snow is steadily piling up. However, the enthusiasm and warmth flowing between the mayor and the neighborhood association presidents seems to blow away the cold. This is not just a formal greeting. It is an important "ritual of the heart" that ensures that the town government and the local community are firmly aligned, like the two wheels of a cart, and moving forward in the same direction.<\/p>\n

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A beautiful snowscape with a deep blue sky and white snow in contrast<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

10 leaders supporting Hokuryu Town<\/h3>\n

Hokuryu Town has a population of about 1,600 and is home to 10 neighborhood associations. This is close to the "Dunbar's number" (the optimal number of people who can match each other's faces and names and build trust, approximately 150 people) in social psychology, making it the ideal form of a "face-to-face community." (Dunbar's number: Wikipedia<\/a><\/strong>\uff09<\/p>\n

Mayor Sasaki visited the homes and workshops of each of the 10 chairpersons, who are key members of the community, and spoke with them.<\/p>\n

The 10 chairpersons who visited this time and will support the local community for the R7 fiscal year (2026) are as follows:<\/p>\n