Thursday, April 2, 2020
On Wednesday, April 1st, at the start of the Reiwa 2 fiscal year, awards were given to employees with 30 and 20 years of service, appointment letters were handed out, and the mayor gave a speech at the Hokuryu Town Assembly Hall.
Address by Mayor Yutaka Sano
"For us town employees, today marks the start of fiscal year 2020.
Employee long-service awards
We have just presented the awards for long service, based on the employee award regulations. Yayoi Kawamoto has worked for 30 years, and Katsuyoshi Takahashi, Keiko Banda, Masakazu Tamura, Ryoko Kuratani, and Rie Oikawa have worked for 20 years.
You have worked diligently as a town employee for a truly long time, right up to this day. I would like to express my deepest respect and sincere gratitude. I look forward to your continued hard work in the future.
appointment letter
We also handed out appointment letters to those who were transferred on April 1st, those who were promoted, those who became new Hokuryu Town employees, and those who became fiscal year appointed employees.
As employees of Hokuryu Town, I hope that you will take responsibility and awareness into account and work hard to build a town where the townspeople are the main players. I especially hope that all of you new recruits will get used to your jobs as quickly as possible and work hard to become employees who are well-liked and trusted by the townspeople.
Mr. Noshirogawa, who has been dispatched by the Hokkaido Prefectural Government, will be providing support mainly in the area of sunflower oil. Mr. and Mrs. Terauchi, who are village supporters, will be working in Hokuryu Town for the 11th year this year. Mr. Sakuraba, a former JA member and also a village supporter, will be helping out with measures to support agricultural workers. Furthermore, Mr. Hoshiba, as a local revitalization cooperation team member, will be providing significant support in the development of Hokuryu Town. We look forward to working with them.
Hometown tax payment
This year's hometown tax donations total 550 million yen, with 40,500 donations. We have received a truly overwhelming amount of hometown tax donations from all over the country. What makes us happiest is the many kind words we receive in postcards and emails, such as, "Hokuryu Town's sunflower rice is so delicious! Once you try it, you won't be able to stop!"
Under the new hometown tax system that came into effect last year, it has been made legal that the return gift rate must be no more than 30%. Even though the return gift rate has been reduced from 50% to 30%, we are still receiving more support from more people than ever before.
I believe this is thanks above all to the efforts of the producers in Hokuryu Town, who have been producing safe, reliable, and delicious rice for many years.
Zero traffic accident deaths in 5,000 days
As of today, we have been without a traffic fatality for 4,717 days. Our goal of 5,000 days is January 9th of next year. We look forward to welcoming that day with everyone. We also ask that all our staff continue to make further efforts to promote traffic safety. Thank you for your continued support.
COVID-19
Regarding the novel coronavirus, the infection continues to spread worldwide. The Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games have been postponed until next year. The spread of the virus has prevented people and goods from crossing borders, and we are witnessing just how serious the situation is. People cannot travel, go on business trips, work overseas, or study abroad. Ordered foreign products do not arrive, parts cannot be procured, and it is difficult to secure skilled personnel. While we are extremely concerned about the future of this situation, we hope for a swift end to it.
Creating a vibrant and shining town
Hokuryu Town is currently attracting attention from around the country as a sunflower town that protects the lives and health of its citizens. Even though our population is small, we need to create a town where our residents are full of vitality, rich in spirit, and shining with joy. To achieve this, I would like to work with all of my staff to develop the town.
Putting the happiness of the townspeople first
"This marks the start of a new fiscal year and my third term as mayor. I will continue to administer the town with the happiness of the townspeople as my top priority. I also ask all staff to take good care of their health, value interpersonal relationships within the workplace, and work together as one. I look forward to your continued support," said Mayor Sano in a powerful statement.
As we start the new fiscal year of Reiwa 2, it is with boundless love, gratitude, and prayer that the entire town of Hokuryu come together to work together to create a town that is vibrant, rich in spirit, and shining with joy.
◇ Photography and editing: Noboru Terauchi Interview and text: Ikuko Terauchi
