16 Tourism Promotion Volunteers, etc. 3

Noboru Terauchi and Ikuko Terauchi (Regional Revitalization Cooperation Volunteers ⇒ Village Supporters)

In 2010, Terauchi Noboru and Terauchi Ko were appointed as Hokuryu Town Regional Revitalization Cooperation Team members, and they have been promoting Hokuryu Town's tourism, local products, events, and other activities online, disseminating information about them nationwide.

Isao Senba (A Bright Farming Methods Office, NPO Corporation)

From 2017 to 2020, he worked as a local revitalization volunteer, a dementia community promoter in Hokuryu Town, a director of the NPO Bright Farming, support activities at the Community Support Center, and support activities for employment for people with disabilities. At the NPO Bright Farming, he dispatches gifts in return for hometown tax donations and runs a "Bright Shop" at the tourist center.

Shuichi Hirose (Scarecrow Festival)

In 2009, Shuichi Hirose, the representative of Ryusei Farm, held the Scarecrow Festival for three years to promote Hokuryu Town as a rice-producing town both inside and outside the town, and to deepen interactions among local residents.

Tolentino Joesil Kambiado (Interpretation for the increase in inbound tourists)

He came to Hokuryu town from the Philippines as an ALT in 2015. In recent years, the number of foreign tourists at Himawari no Sato has increased, and Tolentino has been providing tourist information, which has been extremely helpful in dealing with inbound tourists.

Ryoji Kikura (Aichi Prefecture Himawari Agricultural Cooperative Sister Partnership)

Ryoji Kikura, former chairman of Hokuryu Town Agricultural Cooperative, chairman of Kitasorachi Agricultural Cooperative, and honorary citizen of Hokuryu Town, held a signing ceremony to become sister agricultural cooperatives with Aichi Prefecture Himawari Agricultural Cooperative in 1991.

A total of 90 people, including all officials of Himawari Agricultural Cooperative, the Mayor of Toyokawa, and a Toyokawa hand-held fireworks maker with a 350-year tradition, came to town to perform the Mikawa hand-held fireworks. Mr. Kikura also promoted Hokuryu Town in one of his many lectures, carrying a sunflower paper bag.

Susumu Yotsuji (former Hokuryu Town Agricultural Cooperative employee)

In 1979, Yotsuji participated in a European training program for an agricultural organization as the head of the purchasing department of the former Hokuryu Town Agricultural Cooperative. The moment he stepped off the plane at an airport in the former Yugoslavia, he was captivated by the beauty of the sunflower fields that spread out below him. The scenery was so beautiful that he had the illusion of becoming a butterfly and descending into the flower field.

She learned that sunflowers were being grown there for edible oil. After returning to Japan, Yotsuji was approached by an executive of the agricultural cooperative's women's division who said, "I want to do something to leave a lasting impression during my term," and she suggested growing sunflowers.

Kazuaki Yamada (Aerial Photography of Sunflower Village)

Kazuaki Yamada, former president of Yamada Co., Ltd., takes aerial photographs of Himawari no Sato using a motor glider as a hobby, and provided the photos as material for tourism promotion.

Tsukasa Takebayashi (Stories told by Sunflowers [Hokuryu Town Board Game Club])

In 2023, a mystery solving game was held at the 37th Sunflower Festival. Takebayashi came up with the game content and held it at his own expense.

Nobuyuki Murakami and Yui Sasaki (Aiming for a new event: a snow festival)

Hokuryu Town was considering creating new winter tourism resources as it was entering a season of perpetual snow, when the 2021 Regional Revitalization Cooperation Team (Mr. Nobuyuki Murakami and Ms. Yui Sasaki) was assigned to the town. The event was held for the first time in the town on November 11, 2022, as a way to create memories for children and for families to enjoy.

With the full cooperation of Hokkaido Information University, the dragon, the symbol of Honmachi, will take center stage, flying around and creating a powerful image projected across the entire wall of Sunflower Park, accompanied by a live performance by Hokuryu Taiko drummers.

The first Sky Lantern® event was held at the Rural Environment Improvement Center on March 4, 2023. Approximately 150 people, including parents and children, enjoyed the fantastic sight of the orange glowing lanterns.

The first "Ice Candle" event was held on February 4th, 2023 at Sunflower Park. 300 ice candles created a fantastic atmosphere in the evenings of Hokuryu Town, and a snow sculpture of the zodiac rabbit also delighted visitors. The aim is to develop tourism into a snow festival that will encompass events already held in the winter, such as the "Ski Tournament" and "Yukinko Festival."