"With gratitude for the past 10 years in Hokuryu Town" by Noboru Terauchi and Ikuko (Hokuryu Town Sunflower University Course)

Tuesday, February 26, 2020

On Thursday, February 13th, Hokuryu Town Community Supporters Noboru and Ikuko Terauchi gave a lecture entitled "With Gratitude for the Past 10 Years in Hokuryu Town" at the Hokuryu Town Sunflower University Lecture (sponsored by the Board of Education) held in the Community Center's Large Hall.

Himawari University Lecture: "With gratitude for the past 10 years in Hokuryu Town"

Scene from the venue

This March marks 10 years since we moved to Hokuryu Town, Hokkaido. Looking back over the past 10 years, we hope to share with you the many wonderful events that have happened and the emotions we have felt, and dream together of an even brighter Hokuryu Town in the future.

Valentine's Chocolate

To celebrate Valentine's Day on February 14th, we prepared some small chocolates on the table as a token of our appreciation.

Looking back over the past 10 years

After being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in September 2009, I had a fateful encounter in November with Isao Hoshiba (a native of Hokuryu Town and former representative of the Saisei no Kai, a family association for people with early-onset dementia), who introduced me to Dr. Kumiko Utsumi of Sunagawa City Hospital in December, where I visited. "Alzheimer's disease has been ruled out, but if I continue in my current living environment, there is a possibility that my symptoms will progress and worsen in the future," I was diagnosed. We decided to change our environment, and in April 2010, my husband and I moved to Hokuryu Town, Hokkaido.

After listening to Mr. Hoshiba's story, my desire to visit Hokuryu Town grew stronger. I decided to experience the harshest season of winter rather than midsummer when the sunflowers bloom. When I first visited Hokuryu Town, it was a snowy December snowstorm.

However, despite living in the city, the members of the Sorachi Himawari Association for Families of People with Early-Onset Dementia in Hokuryu Town welcomed us with a hot pot of food. The warmth, deep consideration, and kindness they showed us at that time still lingers in my heart. This invaluable experience led me to decide to move to Hokuryu Town.

In Hokuryu Town, I used my experience in information dissemination from my previous job to work as a Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications/Hokuryu Town Regional Revitalization Cooperation Volunteer for three years, and then continued to work as a Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications/Hokuryu Town Community Supporter for the past seven years.

Over the past 10 years, our life in Hokuryu Town, surrounded by abundant nature, has been an exciting treasure hunt every day. Our encounters with the warm-hearted people of Hokuryu Town have given us the courage and strength to live.

We are filled with boundless gratitude beyond words for the warmth, encouragement, and support you have shown us over the past 10 years. Thank you very much.

This year marks our 10th anniversary, and we are grateful for everything that has happened so far. Over the next 10 years, we would like to give back to the people of Hokuryu Town by doing our utmost to provide information to the best of our ability.

Today's Content

・The goal of the Hokuryu Town Portal
・10 years of access
・Summarizing the past 10 years in one word
・Looking back on articles about events over the past 10 years
・Slide video presentation of landscape photos from the past 10 years

The goal of the Hokuryu Town Portal

By shining a light on Hokuryu's charm through information dissemination and letting the world know about the town's wonderfulness, Hokuryu will be recognized by the world and will connect with the world.

Hokuryu Town Portal 2020 Renewal

Number of pieces of information published over the past 10 years

・Hokuryu Town Portal: 4,400 results
・Facebook pages: 1,200
・Hokkaido Shimbun Official Blog: 500 posts
・Current updated articles: 1,000
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Total: 7,100

9 years of access (2011-2019)

・1.33 million people (240,000 people in fiscal 2018)
・4.07 million pages (610,000 pages in 2018)
・All 47 prefectures in Japan
・83 countries around the world

Most Read Categories

・Himawari no Sato: 980,000 views
・Feature articles: 230,000 views
・Sunflower Hokuryu Onsen: 220,000 visits
・Kurosengoku Business Cooperative Association: 50,000 times
・Hokusho Road Race Tournament: 40,000 times
・Sunflower Rice・Rice produced in Hokuryu Town: 30,000 times

Access from across the country: 1.9 million

Access from around the world: 55,000

Correlation between Himawari no Sato and Hokuryu Town Portal Information Dissemination

・Number of visitors to Himawari no Sato in 2017: 356,000 people, the highest number ever recorded!

Himawari no Sato - Image provided by: 77th event (8 years)

・Scenic books, monthly magazines, travel brochures (JTB, HIS, JAL, ANA, AIRDO)
・Movie promotional video (Photo Koshien)

"I want to see it before I die! Experience the world's most beautiful scenery"

"Japan's Spectacular Scenery Journey (A Journey of New Discoveries on Earth)"

"Breathtaking views of Japan that will make you want to travel right away"

"Kototrip Magazine Vol. 5 Summer 2015 Issue"

Liberal Democratic Party, monthly women's magazine "Libre"

Tobu Top Tours (Tokyo) Hokkaido 2017 Travel Brochure Cover

Our migration history

September 2009: Diagnosed with early-onset dementia (age 53 at the time) and met Isao Hoshiba, the representative of the Early-Onset Dementia Family Association.
・March 2010: Moved to Hokuryu Town
・Isao Hoshiba is our savior. We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone at the Sorachi Himawari Association for Families of People with Early-Onset Dementia.

The past 10 years in a nutshell

・The spirit that Hokuryu Town has inherited and nurtured from its ancestors has been recognized throughout Japan and overseas for the past 10 years.

Hokuryu Town Portal feature articles over 9 years (102 months): 735 articles (61 articles/year)

This time, we will introduce 45 cases that we found particularly impressive.

・July 2010: As a local revitalization volunteer, I started posting information on my blog!
July 2011: Hokuryu Town Portal launched. Full-scale information dissemination for Hokuryu Town begins!

2011 (Heisei 23)

Coverage from sowing to harvesting

Kenichi Doi, President of Farm Tomorrow Ltd.

Representative of Natural Farm Huanggang, Huanggang Masayasu

Representative of Takaramono Co., Ltd., Minoru Sato

September: Shinryu Shrine Autumn Festival

November: JA Kino Papio sales promotion

2012 (Heisei 24)

May: Visit to Motono Village (now Inzai City, Chiba Prefecture)

120th Anniversary of the Town's Founding, Year of the Dragon: 120 years ago, Yoshiue Shoichiro put his hoe down in the northern land of Hokkaido, and the tradition is still passed down to this day.

"The soul of agriculture that nurtures life" "Food is the spirit of life"

I experienced the words that Ryoji Kikura always speaks about: "History is a conversation between the past and the present."

September: Hokkaido Regional Creation Forum in Hokuryu

2013 (Heisei 25)

March: Hokuryu Town Sunflower Soba Production Committee, National Soba Excellent Production Award "Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award"

・A unified effort from the entire organization, from production to sales

April: Hokuryu Town Residents Introduction begins (as of December 2019: 369 people)

・Beautiful smiles from Hokuryu Town

July: Hokuryu Fire Brigade 100th Anniversary Ceremony

- Protecting the safety and security of townspeople's lives

November: Hokuryu Town Sunflower Chorus 25th Anniversary Concert - Beethoven's Ninth Symphony "Ode to Joy" resonates

・A joyful song that resonates with the joy of the townspeople

December: Kitakiyokata received the Autumn Decoration of 2013

Celebration of receiving the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays. The greatness of people who dedicate their lives to serving the townspeople.

Since the article was published, it has been accessed 42,500 times (an average of 19 times per day)! The people of Hokuryu will always live on in the hearts of people all over Japan.

2014 (Heisei 26)

June: Grand opening of Hokuryu Town agricultural and livestock direct sales store "Minorich Hokuryu"

・Vegetables packed with love from the mothers of Hokuryu Town

August: 480 runners race through Hokuryu Town in the 50th Hokusho Road Race

・The townspeople's sporting spirit that has been passed down for half a century

November: Hokkaido Fair @ Farmers Market Itoman Umanchu Market (Itoman City, Okinawa Prefecture)

・A passion to deliver delicious Hokuryu rice to Okinawa

2015 (Heisei 27)

March: Kurosengoku Business Cooperative Association 10th Anniversary Celebration

・The spirit of mutual support among producers embodied in Kurosengoku soybeans

June: Making the town more vibrant with flowers - Mayor Yutaka Sano, Royal British Hanging Basket Master

・Mayor Sano's rich heart, who loves flowers and his town

July: Hokkaido Prefectural Police Band concert and Jumpo People's Wave Movement held to celebrate 3,000 days without traffic fatalities

・The unity of Hokuryu town residents as they aim for 50,000 days without traffic fatalities

2016 (Heisei 28)

February: At the 15th Regional Specialty Product Meister Gathering (Tokyo), Yukio Takada, Chairman of the Kurosengoku Business Cooperative Association, Hokkaido's only association, is certified.

・Hokkaido's only local specialty meister

February: Hekisui Neighborhood Association Women's Activities and Processing Center @ Palm Food and Agriculture Workshop (Hokuryu Town)

・Mothers in Hokuryu Town showering love on their families

April: Hokuryu Town participated in the Togoshi Shopping District joint event "Togospo" for the first time (Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo)

・Producers' initiative in promoting their specialties in downtown Tokyo

October: Mayor as bus guide ~Hokuryu Town, Mayor Yutaka Sano Edition~CB Tours

Mayor Sano's ambition is to personally promote the wonderful things about Hokuryu. This bus tour has been held every year since then, and this year, 2020, marks the fifth time.

November: Hokuryu Town participated in the 24th Taipei International Travel Fair (ITF2016, Taiwan).

・Start of promotional activities in Taiwan

December: Hokuryu Land Improvement District 100th Anniversary Celebration

・The spirit of the Land Improvement District, which has continued to protect "water, land, and greenery" for a century

2017 (Heisei 29th year)

January: Marugen Community Revitalization Program (Hokuryu Town)

・Hokuryu townspeople enjoy life with healthy bodies and bright hearts

February: The 30th Yukinko Festival 2017 - Full of children's smiles!

・The activities of young people in Hokuryu Town, connecting children's smiles

February: Product development for Sansan Sunflower Oil (Hokuryu Town x Nisshin Oillio Group)

・Sunflower oil is back!!!

March: 46th Japan Agriculture Awards Ceremony @ NHK Hall "Hokuryu Town Sunflower Rice Producers Association" wins the Grand Prize!

・Thank you! Hokuryu Town Sunflower Rice Producers Association receives Japan Agriculture Award Grand Prize!!!

June: Sapporo Hokuryu-kai 2017, a 50-year-old association of people from Hokuryu Town (Sapporo City)

・A native of Hokuryu Town who loves and supports his hometown

July: "Dementia Forum in Hokuryu" held as part of the 10th anniversary celebrations for the Sorachi Himawari Association for Young People with Dementia

- The compassion of Hokuryu townspeople towards people with dementia and disabilities

July: Public wedding ceremony at Himawari no Sato for Yoshiaki Suda and Satoko Watanabe

・A public wedding ceremony at Himawari no Sato, celebrated by the whole town

December: Hokuryu Town product exhibition "Rice, Kurosengoku soybeans, and sunflower oil" held at Yumoya (Taichung City, Taiwan)

・Safe and secure Hokuryu Town specialties delivered to Taiwan

2018 (Heisei 30)

March: Team North Dragon receives the 2017 Kitashin Hometown Promotion Fund and Hometown Revitalization Award.

・Youth activities to promote the town's specialties beyond organizational boundaries

April: Hokuryu Town commercial revitalization facility COCOWA opens

・Kokowa, a commercial revitalization facility that helps shopping refugees

August: Hokuryu Town Town Planning Discussion Meeting, Project to Revitalize Hokuryu Town through Design

・Interaction with experts who will connect the dream of the Sunflower Village

September: 2018 Sorachi District Senior Citizens Gathering in Hokuryu Town

・Don't forget your cheerful and bright smile in 2018. The way of life of elderly people who live cheerfully and energetically

November: Discover the treasures of rural areas

・Kurosengoku Business Cooperative (Hokuryu Town, Hokkaido) was awarded the 5th Certificate of Excellence (@Prime Minister's Official Residence) & Marche (Tokyo Nihonbashi Tower)
・Activities of the government-recognized Kurosengoku Business Cooperative Association

2019 (Reiwa 1)

January: Hokuryu Town Indoor Park Golf Club Activities

・The gymnasium is filled with smiling faces! Hokuryu town residents enjoy sports even in winter

July: Courtesy visit to Himawari Rice users in Eastern Hokkaido, driving approximately 1,000 km in three days

・Courtesy visit to sunflower rice users

October: Reiwa 1st Year Amateur Soba Making 4th Dan Skill Examination in Hokuryu Town

・The "Amateur Soba Making 4th Dan Skills Examination" sponsored by the Hokkaido Branch Hokuryu Certification Association (Hokuryu Town) was held for the first time in Hokuryu Town.

October: Kengo Kuma and Terutaka Suzuki

・Hokuryu Town Town Development Lecture: "From the New National Stadium to Hokuryu Town" Kengo Kuma's perspective on town development in Hokuryu Town

October: 4th Sunflower Village Basic Plan Formulation Committee meeting with townspeople and Kengo Kuma

December: Construction inspection of Hokuryu Town Yawara Nursery School, designed by Kengo Kuma, is carried out. The school is scheduled to open in April 2020.

・Completion of construction of Hokuryu Town Yawara Nursery School, designed by Kengo Kuma

2020 (Reiwa 2)

January: Congratulations to Yutaka Sano on his uncontested election as mayor of Hokuryu Town and his street speech

・Appealing for the creation of a town that "shares joy." Mayor Yutaka Sano, in his third term, aims to create a town that shares joy!

Video viewing

Smiles of Hokuryu Town

The colorful scenery of Hokuryu Town

The four seasons of Hokuryu Town

Thank you for listening.
We will continue to search for treasures in Hokuryu Town and do our best to provide information to the public with all our heart.
Thank you for your continued support.

Thank you very much for today.

Related articles

・All slides from the lecture (124 slides) are available here >>
・Table of contents of feature articles from 2011 to 2019

◇ Photography and editing: Noboru Terauchi Interview and text: Ikuko Terauchi