50 Years of the Tourism Association's History [1990s]
| Year number | 月 | Major Events |
| Heisei2年 1990年 | 4 | Tetsuo Sasaki appointed as chairman of the Tourism Association |
| 5 | 第21The 10th Hokuryu Town Cherry Blossom Festival was held (Konpirayama Park) | |
| 6 | The town declared itself "a town of safe food production that protects the lives and health of the people" at a farmers' meeting, followed by resolutions by the town council, agricultural committee, land improvement district, and other related organizations. | |
| 7 | The Kitaryu Tunnel on the Dodo Mashike-Inada Line was opened, and the line, which had been closed during the winter, is now open all year round. | |
| 7 | Agricultural product collection and shipping facility3号(1,233nf) construction | |
| 🌻 | Himawari no Sato Shop Association established and begins business at Himawari no Sato(3With the launch of the "Sunflower Festival" by the local residents, the Ryutopia Association's "Jumbo Maze," and the junior high school's "Sunflowers of the World," the Sunflower Festival has evolved from an event for local residents to one aimed at tourists. | |
| 8 | 第4The 10th Sunflower Festival was held (held in front of the agricultural cooperative at Sunflower Village) | |
| 8 | It is designated as Shokan Yagishiri Quasi-National Park. | |
| 8 | Sunflower Streetlight100A certain establishment (Hokuryu Town opening100year business) | |
| 8 | Governor Yokomichi of Hokkaido visits the sunflower village in Hokuryu Town. He advocates the One Village, One Product initiative in Hokkaido. Hokuryu Town launches the "Sunflower Commercial Utilization Study Committee" and begins research into "bath additives" and "sunflower drinks," and launches "Sunflower Ramen" and "Himawari-kun." | |
| 9 | Geothermal development drilling has succeeded in producing hot spring water at a depth of 1,200m, with a temperature of 42.5°C and a rate of 420 liters per minute. | |
| Heisei3年 1991年 | 3 | In November 1990, a call for proposals for a sunflower mascot was made, and the design of Kamono Hiroe, a member of the Chonai Kyoei Neighborhood Association, was selected in March 1991. In 1992, the character was named "Himawari Saki-chan" and was used effectively on envelopes, postcards, traffic safety flags, etc. |
| 5 | The 22nd Hokuryu Town Cherry Blossom Festival will be held (Konpirayama Park). This will be the last cherry blossom festival, and Mount Konpira will be opened from the following year. | |
| 6 | Commissioned by the first generation Sunflower Girls, Takahata Hiromi and Hatsuda Mika | |
| 7 | Received the 1st Regional Revitalization Contribution Award "Flower and Town Development Award Sunflower Village" from the Hokkaido Regional Development Bureau | |
| 7 | The 5th Sunflower Festival was held (Sunflower Village) | |
| 7 | Hokuryu Junior High School has begun full-scale efforts to cultivate sunflowers from around the world by creating a "Sunflower Corner from Around the World" following last year's sunflower cultivation initiative. | |
| 7 | Senior Citizens' Club Conducts "Tourist Guide" at Himawari no Sato | |
| 8 | Himawari Agricultural Cooperative (Aichi Prefecture) and Hokuryu Agricultural Cooperative celebrate sisterhood partnership with Mikawa Tezutsu Fireworks | |
| 9 | "Hokuryumon Gate" completed to commemorate the town's 100th anniversary | |
| 12 | At the All Hokkaido Agricultural Cooperative Women's Division Conference, Women's Division Chief Chihoko Kabata's presentation on "Sunflower Town Revitalization Activities" won the top prize. | |
| 🌻 | Himawari no Sato is broadcast nationwide on TV Asahi's "Sunday Project" | |
| 🌻 | Nippon Television 24-Hour TV Special Program Commemorating the End of the War "Love and Sorrow in Sakhalin" Starring: Kase Taishu, Saito Yuki, Matsumoto Iyo, etc. * Filmed at Hokuryu Sunflower Field | |
| 1992 1992年 | 5 | The Hokuryu Town Cherry Blossom Festival is stopped and Konpira Park is opened. |
| 6 | Sunflower Park Hokuryu Onsen opens (hot springs, restaurant, shop) | |
| 6 | Sunflower Park Hokuryu Onsen opens (hot spring, restaurant, shop). We start supporting weeding at the Hokuryu Town Senior Citizens Club. | |
| 7 | The 6th Sunflower Festival was held (Sunflower Village) | |
| 🌻 | "Sunflower Pie," "Sunflower Mochi," "Dragon Pie," and "Northern Sun" are released | |
| 🌻 | Yasuda Fire & Marine Insurance won the bid for Van Gogh's masterpiece "Sunflowers" for 5.8 billion yen, and through the efforts of Tsutomu Sakamoto, Yasuda Fire & Marine Insurance donated a replica of Van Gogh's "Sunflowers" to the company. | |
| It was introduced in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's public relations magazine as "Sunflower Land where dragons dance." | ||
| 1993 1993 | 4 | Established a new "Sunflower Section" within the town hall, named the Commerce, Industry and Tourism Section. |
| 6 | Commissioned by the second generation Sunflower Girls, Shizuka Fujii and Yuko Ishida | |
| 7-8 | The 7th Sunflower Festival was held (Sunflower Village) | |
| 7 | Covered wagon "Himawari-go" operates in Himawari Village Started free Himawari bicycle rental | |
| 9 | Received the 3rd AAC Regional Event Award Excellence Award from the Regional Revitalization Center Foundation | |
| 11 | Received the Governor's Award for Excellent Regional Development Practices | |
| 🌻 | Establishment of a local specialty sales council (town, JA, commercial promotion council, Sunflower Park). Research results of the Sunflower Advanced Use Study Committee (sunflower bath salts, sunflower bank, sunflower bird tea) are produced as prototypes. | |
| 🌻 | "Sunflower ice cream," "Sunflower health tea (herbal sunflower tea)," "Sunflower honey candy," and "Sunflower cookies" on sale | |
| 🌻 | Toho Film "The Place Closest to the Blue Sky" Director: Shoji Kokami, Starring: Hidetaka Yoshioka, Mayumi Hasegawa *Filmed at Himawari Village | |
| 1994 1994 | 6 | The Board of Education will establish a simple park golf course (3 courses) next to the Hekisui Gateball Court. |
| 7-8 | The 8th Sunflower Festival was held (Sunflower Village) | |
| 10 | Sunflower Park Hokuryu Onsen accommodation facility completed and opened | |
| 11 | Received the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations Award at the 2nd Beautiful Japanese Village Landscape Contest | |
| 11 | Received the National Exchange Conference Executive Committee Chairman's Award at the 11th National Community Building Awards Received the Hokkaido Tohoku Development Public Corporation President's Award | |
| 🌻 | Cold weather damage causes rice shortage | |
| 1995 1995 | 1 | Roadside station "Sunflower Hokuryu" completed (17th in Hokkaido) |
| 5 | Creation of a yew forest: Takahashi Nobukiyo and 200 townspeople planted the trees | |
| 6 | Commissioned by the 3rd generation Sunflower Girls Hiromi Iwakura, Tomoe Horiguchi, and Sachiko Tsuzuki | |
| 7-8 | The 9th Sunflower Festival was held (Sunflower Village) | |
| 9 | Chuo Bus will start operating from Fukagawa to Sunflower Park from September 1st. | |
| "Northern Sunflower (Soleil)" sweets released | ||
| 1996 1996 | 4 | The Junmaishu "Himawari no Uta" (Sunflower Poem) is licensed for retail sale at Sunflower Park Hokuryu Onsen, and is also selling Himawari Wine (manufactured by the Yubari Melon Brandy Brewing Research Institute) and Melon Wine (manufactured by Otaru Hokkaido Wine). |
| 7 | "Himawari Tourist Plaza" construction 122,539.10 yen (Parking: 14 large vehicles, 485 regular vehicles, tourist toilets) Parking lot expansion. In 1994 and 1995, due to a lack of parking spaces, cars overflowed onto the national highway, causing traffic congestion on the national highway, so a new parking lot was added. | |
| 7-8 | The 10th Sunflower Festival was held (Sunflower Village) | |
| 7-8 | Regular sightseeing bus service (Sapporo - Otodo - Hokuryu) was operated by Chuo Bus (CB Tours), and later other sightseeing buses also planned sightseeing routes for Himawari no Sato. | |
| 8 | The Chamber of Commerce invited NIRA researcher Terutaka Suzuki to give a "Town Development Lecture" on the theme of tourism. The following year (1997), a sunflower symposium was held in Hokuryu Town with panelists including Terutaka Suzuki, STV announcer Toyoko Hashimoto, and Kengo Kuma. In 1989, Kengo Kuma was involved in the "Sunflower Village Master Plan" as a regional development advisor, and in the same year he was appointed Hokuryu Town Tourism Ambassador. | |
| 🌻 | The Hokuryu Town Himawari Village was used in the title sequence of the NHK TV drama "Himawari." The popular song "Dreaming Girl" by Tatsuro Yamashita was broadcast from April to October in the morning and afternoon, and on Saturdays. It was broadcast in a compilation. | |
| 1997 1997 | 6 | Commissioned by the 4th generation Sunflower Girls, Sachiko Tsuzuki and Makiko Tamura |
| 6 | A memorial monument unveiling ceremony for Professor Dorogame's poem "In the forest there is beauty, there is love, and there are dreams" and a tree planting ceremony were held in the Yew Forest. | |
| 7 | Construction of "Himawari Tourist Center" in Himawari no Sato: 198,975,000 yen (14 shops in Himawari Tourist Center) Construction of the Tourist Center exterior: 121,127,500 yen *A tourist center was built in Himawari no Sato and a parking lot was prepared, resulting in an increase of 100,000 tourists compared to the previous year. | |
| 7·8 | The 11th Sunflower Festival was held (Sunflower Village) | |
| 10 | Sunflower Park Hokuryu Onsen reaches 1 million visitors | |
| 🌻 | Toshihisa Yamada begins cultivating sunflower sprouts called "Himawarikko." Releases "Cheese & Butter Madeleine" and "Sunflower Yokan (Sunflower Sweet Jelly) Sunflower Dream." | |
| 1998 1998 | 5 | Expanded Himawari no Sato from 6ha to 13ha (utilizing the Forestry Agency's nursery land) |
| 7·8 | The 12th Sunflower Festival was held (Sunflower Village) | |
| 7 | The Himawari sightseeing car (by Hideji Ito) began operation after replacing horses with tractors. | |
| 8 | The Ryutopia Association has completed and put their heart and soul into creating a "child's dragon" and will be unveiling it. | |
| 🌻 | "Hokuryu Okaki," "Himawari Dorayaki," and "Sunflower Sesame Rice Crackers" are released | |
| 1999 1999 | 4 | April 11th: Himawari Tourism Association established (reorganized from Hokuryu Town Tourism Association) Nineteen years have passed since the start of work on sunflowers in 1980, and in 1987 various festivals were integrated to form the "Sunflower Festival." In 1989, the "Sunflower Village" was developed, and the Sunflower Park project, which was planned in 1990, began in 1992. It was established in 1972 to develop local tourism, improve tourist facilities, and promote tourist events. However, with sunflowers, which began to be displayed in 1980, becoming the center of tourism, the Sunflower Festival Executive Committee was formed in 1988, and 12 Sunflower Festivals have been held. |
| 4 | Hokuryu Ostrich Club established (test grazing of ostriches carried out) | |
| 6 | Commissioned by 5th generation Sunflower Girls Michishita Kaori and Goto Yukie | |
| 7·8 | The 13th Sunflower Festival was held (Sunflower Village) | |
| 8 | Himawari no Sato at Night will be broadcast on TV Asahi's "News Station." | |
| 10 | Himawari Nosan (Representative: Tsutomu Yoshida) begins selling rice cakes from the fields. | |
| 2000 2000 | 5 | Himawari no Sato expanded from 13ha to 14.5ha |
| 5 | Ten people were appointed as "Hokuryu Tourism Ambassadors" (Hajime Hoshiba, Tomoya Shimizu, Susumu Yotsuji, Yoshinori Fujie, Minoru Sato) Masao Fujisaki, Sayoko Fujii, Sawa Kanayama, Mika Fujinobu, and Hiromi Kawase) | |
| 5 | "Sunflower Road" constructed on National Route 275 | |
| 6 | Ostrich ranch completed, full-scale grazing begins | |
| 7 | The 14th Sunflower Festival was held (Sunflower Village) | |
| 8 | Himawari no Sato is broadcast nationwide on NHK's "Good Morning Nippon" | |
| 8 | It will be broadcast nationwide on Nippon Television's "Zoom In!! Saturday" | |
| 8 | Sunflower Festival "Fireworks Display" held The Mayor of Buzen Town, Sano, proposed the Sunflower Fireworks Display when he was the head of the Planning Division (in charge of tourism), and the fireworks display began at the Sunflower Festival. | |
| 2001 2001 | 5 | Himawari no Sato expands from 14.5a to 16.8ha |
| 6 | On June 29th, a tornado (magnitude F2) struck, causing major damage to Himawari and related facilities. | |
| 6 | 324 people participated and supported the "Weeding Crusade" at Himawari Village | |
| 6 | Commissioned by the 6th generation Sunflower Girls, Chiaki Sakai and Satomi Fujii | |
| 7 | Ostrich maze opened | |
| 7-8 | The 15th Sunflower Festival was held (Sunflower Village) | |
| 9 | Himawari Park Golf Course (Yew and Sunflower Course) opens | |
| 2002 2002 | 5 | The Sunflower Voluntary Association was established, and tour guide services began at Sunflower Village, and donations were also made available. |
| 5 | To commemorate the 110th anniversary of the town's founding, the Lions Club created a "Cherry Blossom Avenue." 340 cherry tree owners planted the trees and erected a memorial. | |
| 5 | The Himawari Tourism Association (organization) received the Hokkaido Tourism Promotion Merit Award from the Hokkaido Tourism Federation. | |
| 6 | Ostrich Club starts "Duck Farm" in Himawari Village | |
| 7-8 | The 16th Sunflower Festival was held (Sunflower Village) | |
| 7 | Kansas State Senator Steineger visits the town and inspects the Sunflower Village. | |
| 9 | The Hokuryu Town Specialty Products Sales Council received the Silver Award in the Regional Specialty Products category at the 1st "Our Village is Beautiful - Hokkaido" competition from the Hokkaido Regional Development Bureau. | |
| 2003 2003 | 1 | Palm Food and Agriculture Workshop opens. JA's production of sunflower oil and nuts ends. |
| 3 | Hokuryu Himawari IC on the Fukagawa-Rumoi Expressway opens (March 27th) | |
| 3 | JR Bus withdraws from the Takikawa-Numata line, and Chuo Bus takes over operation. | |
| 4 | The Rumoi Expressway will stop in front of the town hall (from April 1st) | |
| 4 | Shinji Kanayama appointed as chairman of the Himawari Tourism Association | |
| 4 | Sunflower Park Hokuryu Onsen reaches 2 million visitors | |
| 5 | Himawari no Sato expanded from 16.8ha to 20.8ha | |
| 5 | Expanding "Sunflower Road" along National Route 275 to the headquarters area | |
| 5 | Commissioned by the 7th generation Sunflower Girls, Chiaki Mori and Megumi Okamoto | |
| 7-8 | The 17th Sunflower Festival was held (Sunflower Village) | |
| 8 | The 38th Hokusho Road Race will change from the National Route 275 course certified by the Japan Athletics Federation to the Himawari no Sato course. | |
| 🌻 | Himawari no Sato is broadcast nationwide on TBS's "Hanamaru Market" | |
| 🌻 | The Garden Island was established with the aim of promoting flower tourism in Hokkaido. The Sunflower Tourism Association has been a member of the "Sunflower Village" since 2006. | |
| 🌻 | When SARS broke out, the WHO issued a warning to the world, labeling it a global health threat and issuing an unprecedented travel advisory. | |
| 2004 2004 | 5 | Tetsuo Sasaki, Chairman of the Himawari Tourism Association (individual), received the Hokkaido Tourism Federation Merit Award from the Hokkaido Tourism Federation. |
