Happy New Year, Reiwa 6, Mayor Yutaka Sano of Hokuryu Town

Monday, January 1, 2024

New Year's Greetings from Mayor Yutaka Sano of Hokuryu Town

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Happy New Year to all the townspeople.

We hope that you and your families are in good health and well-being as we welcome the New Year of Reiwa 6.

Looking back at last year, COVID-19 was classified as a Class 5 infectious disease under the Infectious Diseases Control Act in May, and our lives are gradually returning to normal.

However, the infection itself has not been eradicated, and we must continue to make efforts to prevent the spread of infection. We ask for your continued cooperation.

In agriculture, which is a core industry, farm work has been progressing smoothly since the snow melted, but the extremely high temperatures in June and July, which were considered abnormal weather, and the rainfall in early August caused noticeable lodging in fields, making it a very difficult year for producers.

However, the fact that we were able to produce delicious rice this year is the result of the efforts of all producers, and I would like to express my deepest respect for this. Although rice prices are on the rise, the situation remains difficult due to the soaring costs of crude oil and other materials. We will continue to urge the national and prefectural governments to take strong measures.

In addition, the 39th Sunflower Festival, a major event in the town, saw the flowers bloom about 10 days earlier than usual due to unusually high temperatures, and many fields were seen past their peak by the time of Obon.However, the flowers blooming all at once were very beautiful and worth seeing, and the number of tourists attending was 208,000.

The "Hometown Support Donation" program, which has received a lot of support from all over the country, is expected to exceed 300 million yen for the ninth consecutive year, with return gifts such as sunflower rice and sunflower melons remaining popular. Going forward, we will continue to work to encourage many people to support Hokuryu Town through attractive town development and local specialties.

Construction of facilities based on the public facility relocation plan will begin this year. The first works scheduled to be carried out are the construction of a disaster preparedness storage warehouse and the rebuilding of the vehicle center.

Furthermore, the administration faces a mountain of challenges, including measures to ensure local public transportation, such as securing alternative transportation following the closure of the Sorachi Chuo Bus Hokuryu Line, and the development of Himawari no Sato. However, by utilizing the "values" and "experiences" we have cultivated together with the townspeople, we will continue to work hard to create a town where each and every resident can live a fulfilling life.

In closing, I hope that the new year will be a bright and happy one for everyone, and this concludes my New Year's greetings.

＜ Excerpt from "Hokuryu Public Relations" January 2024 issue, No. 701 ＞

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