Hokuryu Town Pioneer Commemoration Ceremony and Meritorious Service Award Ceremony 2024 - Remembering the hardships of our ancestors

Monday, May 20, 2024

On Friday, May 17th, the Hokuryu Town Pioneer Commemoration Ceremony and Meritorious Service Award Ceremony were held solemnly.


Hokuryu Town Pioneer Commemoration Ceremony

This year, 2024 (Reiwa 6), the Year of the Dragon, marks the 132nd anniversary of the founding of Hokuryu Town.
As the strong spring winds and rain howl like a typhoon, the abundant water in the rice paddies sways violently in the strong winds.

At 10:00, a solemn prayer was recited by Chief Priest Onishi of Okuni Shrine (Fukagawa City) in front of the pioneer monument, which stands as if watching over all the rice fields and bearing the hardships of our ancestors.

1. Offering of sacred food

The offerings made to the gods include rice, sake, water, salt, fish, vegetables, fruit, seaweed, eggs, and sweets.

2. Reciting the Shinto prayer

3. Offering of sacred branches

More than 20 important figures representing Hokuryu Town exchanged sacred branch offerings.

The venue was then moved to the Hokuryu Town Senior Citizens Welfare Center, where the award ceremony for outstanding contributions was held.

Award ceremony based on Hokuryu Town Award Ordinance

Those who have contributed to the development and promotion of Hokuryu Town or who are recognized as having outstanding achievements will be awarded in accordance with the ordinance.


1. Opening remarks

The general moderator will be Hajime Minami, head of the town hall's General Affairs Division.

2. Speech: Mayor Yasuhiro Sasaki of Hokuryu Town

"Thank you all for your hard work. The weather has been very difficult. Honorary resident Ryoji Kikura kindly said, 'This weather reminds us of the hardships of our ancestors.'

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all of you for taking time out of your busy schedules, both professional and personal, to be here today to attend the Hokuryu Town Pioneer Commemoration Ceremony and the award ceremony based on the Hokuryu Town Awards Ordinance.

Today's Hokuryu Town marks 132 years since the first pioneering hoe was swung in 1892. During that time, many of our ancestors endured harsh natural conditions, overcame numerous hardships, and poured their hearts and souls into building the town we know today, laying the foundations for the prosperous town we know today.

With its abundant clear streams and fertile soil, Hokuryu Town was one of the first to establish a production base, and is now steadily moving forward as a producer of safe food with agriculture as its base industry, while implementing measures such as improving resident welfare and health care, promoting education and culture, revitalizing tourism, and supporting child-rearing.

Many of our predecessors have always remained positive, held onto their ideals and hopes, no matter what adversity or hardship they faced, and have worked hard to build the Hokuryu town we know today.

We also have a role to play in passing the business on to the next generation, but if we have a gloomy and pessimistic attitude, we will not be able to move things forward smoothly.

It's a very simple thing, but first of all, we need to have hope for our own future and for the future of Hokuryu Town. We also believe that to create a wonderful future, we need to be cheerful, energetic, have an open mind and listen to others, and live positively.

We have now begun a strategic meeting to map out the future of Hokuryu Town, one step at a time. We would like to build the Hokuryu Town of tomorrow while listening carefully to the opinions of our residents.

We would like to once again express our gratitude to everyone who attended, as well as to all the townspeople, for their efforts and cooperation.

❂ Awards based on the Hokuryu Town Awards Ordinance

The people being recognized today have made great contributions over many years of dedicated service to the general public, education, and industrial development of the town, and have achieved great success.

Here we would like to introduce some of the achievements of the five people who will be receiving the award.

• General Town Merit Award: Yutaka Sano
  　
  He began working at Hokuryu Town Hall in April 1970, serving as various section chiefs, and was appointed deputy mayor in March 2004. He was appointed mayor in February 2012, and during his three terms of 12 years in office until his retirement in February 2024, he contributed to the promotion and development of Hokuryu Town by improving various facilities such as Minoritch Hokuryu, COCOWA, and Yawara Nursery School, as well as child-rearing support measures and measures to encourage permanent residence.
  Just as your name suggests, you have created a town of Hokuryu that is rich in many different aspects of spirit. Thank you very much.
  　
• General Town Merit Award: Mr. Kosaka Ikko
  　
  Since being elected to the Hokuryu Town Council in March 2007, he has served for four consecutive terms (16 years) and has made great efforts to ensure the smooth running of the council and the development of town administration. During this time, he served as Chairman of the Council Management Committee and Chairman of the Special Committee on Public Relations for four years from March 2011, and as an Audit Committee member for eight years from March 2015.
  He has a warm and humorous personality, and was very helpful to me. Thank you very much.
  　
• General Town Merit Award: Masami Komatsu
  　
  Since being elected to the Hokuryu Town Council in March 2011, he has devoted himself to the smooth running of the council and town administration for three consecutive terms over a period of 12 years. During this time, he served as Chairman of the Council Management Committee and Chairman of the Special Committee on Public Relations for eight years from March 2015.
  You have solid assets and have been doing great work. Thank you very much.
  　
• Educational Merit Award: Nobuyuki Takebayashi (absent today)
  　
  Since assuming the position of Hokuryu Town Board of Education in October 2007, he has made significant contributions to the promotion of educational administration over a long period of 16 years over four terms. During this time, he served as Chairman of the Board of Education for two years and 11 months from November 2013, and as Acting Superintendent of Education for seven years from October 2016. Thank you very much.
  　
• Industrial Promotion Award: Shigeki Mizutani
  　
  Since taking office as a member of the Hokuryu Town Agricultural Committee in July 2005, he has made great efforts to promote the consolidation and integration of farmland in Hokuryu Town over a period of 18 years over six terms. During this time, he served as acting chairman for three years from 2014, and as chairman for six years from 2017, making significant contributions to the promotion of agriculture throughout the town.
  I am still young, so I would like to receive your guidance. Thank you very much.
  　

This concludes my introduction to some of the achievements of each of the individuals being recognized today, and I would like to express my deepest respect and gratitude for their many years of hard work.

Next, we would like to present a letter of appreciation to Mr. Hirono Katsutoshi, Mr. Kawakami Hiroaki, and Mr. Matsunaga Takashi, who made a generous donation to Hokuryu Town last year, and express our deepest gratitude.

Furthermore, we intend to use the donations we receive effectively and appropriately for the promotion and development of the town in the future.

Next, we will present agricultural successors with incentives for entering the farming industry, based on the Hokuryu Town Sunflower Bank Development Fund Ordinance.

This agricultural successor employment subsidy program will award subsidies to those who take up farming as agricultural successors immediately after completing their studies, or to those who take up farming as successors after working in a job other than agriculture, and who have continued farming for two years or more since starting their careers.

Here we introduce the recipients of the gifts.

❂ Grants for agricultural successors

• Hirofumi Takebayashi (Iwamura Agricultural Association)
  　
  After graduating from Asahikawa University in 2005, he got a job in Tokyo, but decided to take up farming as a successor, and since March 2021, he has been working as a farming successor for his family's farm.
  I hope you will continue to work hard.
  　
• Ms. Akari Matsuda (Itaya Agricultural Association)
  　
  After graduating from a vocational school in Sapporo in 2010, he got a job in Chitose City, but decided to take up farming as a successor, and since August 2021, he has been working as a farming successor for his family's farm.
  Thank you very much for your cooperation.
  　
• Tsuyoshi Nakahara (Hekisui Agricultural Association)
  　
  He graduated from Future University Hakodate in 2007 and started working in Hokuryu Town in 2014, but decided to take up farming as a successor, and has been working as a farm successor for his family since March 2017. We have high hopes for him, so we look forward to working with him.
  　
• Takahiro Takigami (Iwamura Agricultural Association)
  　
  After graduating from Takikawa High School in Hokkaido in 2006, he got a job in Ashibetsu City, but decided to take up farming as a successor, and since April 2022, he has been working as a successor to his relatives' farms.
  Thank you for your cooperation.
  　

The environment surrounding farmers remains difficult. We sincerely hope that you will take good care of your health, deepen your education and intellect, and work hard to be a responsible farm manager.

In light of this finale, I would like to extend my heartfelt wishes for the health and happiness of all those in attendance today, as well as for your continued success in the future. May 17, 2024 Mayor of Hokuryu, Sasaki Yasuhiro

3. Merit Awards

1. General Town Merit Award: Yutaka Sano

2. General Town Merit Award: Mr. Kazuyuki Kosaka

3. General Town Merit Award: Masami Komatsu

4. Educational Merit Award: Nobuyuki Takebayashi (absent)

5. Industrial Promotion Award: Shigeki Mizutani

4. Special Donor Award

When individuals or organizations make donations to Hokuryu Town, they will be recognized in accordance with town regulations and presented with a letter of appreciation.

• Mr. Katsutoshi Hirono (Fukagawa City)
• Hiroaki Kawakami (Mibagyu)
• Mr. Takashi Matsunaga (Hekisui)

5. Grants for agricultural successors to enter the agricultural industry

Based on the Hokuryu Town Sunflower Bank Development Fund Ordinance, we will provide grants to agricultural successors in the hope that they will grow into core members of local agriculture.

• Hirofumi Takebayashi (Iwamura Agricultural Association)
• Ms. Akari Matsuda (Itaya Agricultural Association)
• Tsuyoshi Nakahara (Hekisui Agricultural Association)
• Takahiro Takigami (Iwamura Agricultural Association)

6. Congratulatory speech: Mr. Shoichi Nakamura, Chairman of the Hokuryu Town Council

"As we enter the season of vibrant new greenery, I offer my heartfelt congratulations and joy for the Hokuryu Town Pioneer Commemoration Ceremony and the awards ceremony based on the Hokuryu Town Ordinance being held here today.

In 1892 (Meiji 26), a group led by Yoshiue Shoichiro from Chiba Prefecture set out to pioneer this land, and it has now been 132 years since then.

I once again feel the weight of history and offer my deepest respect and gratitude to the hard work of our ancestors who endured the wind and snow and fought countless hardships to build Hokuryu Town as it is today.

Congratulations to Mr. Yutaka Sano, Mr. Kazuyuki Kosaka, Ms. Masami Komatsu, Mr. Nobuyuki Takebayashi, and Mr. Shigeki Mizutani, who have just received their awards.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all of you for your many years of hard work in your respective fields, and congratulate you on receiving today's awards.

We would appreciate any suggestions you may have for the future of Hokuryu. We hope that you will continue to be healthy and successful.

In addition, we would like to recognize the special donations received by Mr. Hirono Katsutoshi of Fukagawa City, Mr. Kawakami Hiroaki of Mibayashi, and Mr. Matsunaga Takashi of Hekisui for their valuable donations, and we will do our best to ensure that they are used appropriately.

I hope you will continue to provide guidance in various ways for Hokuryu Town, so I look forward to working with you. Thank you very much.

Furthermore, we would like to extend our support to Mr. Takebayashi Hirofumi, Ms. Matsuda Aguri, Mr. Nakahara Tsuyoshi, and Mr. Takigami Takahiro, who have been presented with the farming incentive grants as the backbone of our town's agriculture. We have high hopes for them in realizing the dreams they have for agriculture in our town, and we look forward to supporting them.

We sincerely hope that each of you will be successful as your successors or as farmers.

We are now in an era where local governments must decide their own direction, have their own methods, and move forward under their own responsibility.

I would like to offer my congratulations and hope that all residents will work together to build a shining town of Hokuryu, facing challenges while keeping both a sense of reality and a broad perspective.
Congratulations today."

7. Recipient's thank you speech: Recipient Yutaka Sano

"I am truly delighted and grateful to receive this award today at the bright and cheerful ceremony marking the anniversary of the Hokuryu Town Pioneer Project.

Earlier today, I received a congratulatory speech from Chairman Nakamura, and words of praise from Mayor Sasaki that were beyond my expectations. I am truly grateful.

Looking back, I was able to become Mayor in February 2012 with the support of many people, including the townspeople. Over the course of three terms, or 12 years, I have worked tirelessly to promote the development of my hometown, Hokuryu Town.

Among these, the agricultural promotion sunflower rice won the Japan Agriculture Award Grand Prize, the Kurosengoku Business Cooperative was certified as a "Discover the Treasures of Rural Areas," and last spring, the first pressed sunflower oil was certified as a "Northern High-Grade Food 2023." Furthermore, last fall, the pure rice sake "Ryujin," made with Suisei rice grown in Hokuryu Town, won the Grand Prix at the "Hokkaido Rice Sake Awards 2023."

I believe that it is a source of pride for our town that Hokuryu's agriculture has received such high praise in both cases.

I would like to express my deepest gratitude for the warm kindness I have received from everyone so far, and from now on, as a resident, I intend to do my best to contribute to the development of Hokuryu Town.

Thank you very much for today."

8. Closing remarks

Commemorative photo

Meritorious Service Award

Special Donor Award

Grants for agricultural successors to enter the agricultural industry

After 132 years of development, we respect the pioneering spirit of our predecessors, endure many hardships with gratitude, and offer our boundless love, gratitude, and prayers to the noble souls who continue to contribute to and protect Hokuryu Town's development...

YouTube videos

Other photos

Photos (76 photos) from the Hokuryu Town Pioneer Commemoration Ceremony and Meritorious Service Awards Ceremony 2024 are here >>

Related articles

◇ Interview and text: Ikuko Terauchi (Photography and editing assistance: Noboru Terauchi)