In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Hokuryu Town Sunflower Tourism Association
We are truly pleased to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Hokuryu Town Sunflower Tourism Association.
Looking back, the first Cherry Blossom Festival was held in Konpira Park in 1970, and then in 1991, the 22nd Cherry Blossom Festival was held, and the name was changed to Konpira Park Mountain Opening. Meanwhile, the first Sunflower Festival was held in the plaza in front of the agricultural cooperative in 1987, and the 4th Sunflower Festival in 1990 was moved from the plaza in front of the agricultural cooperative to the current Sunflower Village, where it has remained to this day.
I returned to Hokuryu Town in the spring of 1988 and began working in agriculture. I joined the agricultural cooperative youth division and worked on rotary plowing at Himawari no Sato. I remember young members from each region gathering together to work on the farming group's shared tractor at the time. Young people were joining forces to try to liven up the town.
In addition, sunflower cultivation was actively carried out among farmers, and processed products such as nut oil were developed one after another and sold as souvenirs.
The Tourism Association was reorganized into the Sunflower Tourism Association in 1999, and the focus shifted to sunflowers as a tourist resource. Since then, the Sunflower Village has expanded and been featured on television and radio, raising its profile.
We've looked back quickly, but "Himawari" began in 1980 as a one-household, one-are campaign by the women's division of the agricultural cooperative, and has evolved over time to become the "Himawari Village" we know today.
We would like to express our deepest respect and gratitude to the efforts and efforts of the many kind-hearted people who have been involved with Himawari.
Due to the effects of COVID-19, the number of tourists has decreased, but we hope that we can once again promote the sunflowers and make Hokuryu Town a place full of healing and vitality.We look forward to the continued development and prosperity of the Hokuryu Town Sunflower Tourism Association and offer our congratulations.
