Hokuryu Town, Hokkaido Town Internship Graduation Ceremony 2024 People connect with each other, hearts exchange, and a wonderful circle of harmony spreads for the town's future!

Monday, August 26, 2024

The two-week work week for the "Hokkaido Hokuryu Town Town Internship 2024" came to an end on Monday, August 24th at 11:00 a.m., and a graduation ceremony was held in the Sunflower Park Hotel multipurpose hall (2nd floor).

The internship in Hokuryu Town started on August 12th (national holiday). Ten university students from all over the country were divided into three fields: agriculture, construction, and administration, and worked in Hokuryu Town for two weeks.

Completion ceremony for the town internship in Hokuryu Town, Hokkaido

Greetings from Mayor Yasuhiro Sasaki

"Thank you all so much. I didn't have much time, but I've been able to visit you all and really take in your work and what you have to say.

Two weeks have passed and it is very sad to say goodbye today.

Everyone worked hard to think about various things, interacted with the townspeople, and I felt that the ripple effect had a big impact on the townspeople. Thank you very much.

"I believe we can continue to be connected with you all for a long time. That is the origin of the name of the Connecting Institute. It is also what we hope for. Thank you very much," said Mayor Sasaki.

Certificate of Completion

While presenting the certificates of completion, Mayor Sasaki offered warm words of encouragement to each student.
Participants will be presented with a certificate of completion and a single sunflower.

Students' impressions of the internship

I realized that Hokuryu is a town where everyone truly shines.

Thank you so much for all your help over the past two weeks. I would especially like to thank the two people at the town hall for always speaking to me in a cheerful manner. These two weeks have become truly precious memories.

My town is about the same size as Hokuryu, but has a population about 1,000 times larger. The population is also growing, and hometown tax donations are flowing to Hokuryu (laughs).

Coming from such a town, I have never experienced a town like this where everyone knows each other, and I realized that it is a town where each and every person truly shines.

The macro view of the town I saw at the town office looked as lifeless as the sunflowers right now, but I hope from Tokyo that once winter approaches and we overcome these difficulties, beautiful sunflowers will bloom.

Each of you is like a sunflower, with bright eyes and a strong vision, and I felt a strong desire to support you from Tokyo and to work together with you as fellow residents of Hokuryu Town to think about how you can develop together.

Situations like this are common in rural areas and it can be quite difficult, but as long as there are people there, the town will continue to exist, and over the past two weeks I have vowed to myself that we must not let it disappear.
thank you very much.

I would like to make the most of this experience and knowledge

Thank you for your help with the agriculture section. During the exchange of opinions at the town hall, we had the opportunity to hear about a variety of topics, not just agriculture, and it was a very good experience to hear everyone's various opinions.

In the area of agriculture, I have had the opportunity to learn about various issues unique to Hokkaido through my experience working in large-scale farming in Hokkaido, and I would like to cherish this experience.

I am a first-year student and my future is still uncertain, so I would like to use this experience and knowledge to do my best. Thank you for the past two weeks.

The drinking party with the construction workers was the most fun (lol). I'll come back for drinks again! I'll definitely come back for drinks!

I was taken care of during the construction industry section. Not only did I receive a thorough lesson on the construction industry, but I also had the opportunity to interact with agricultural workers, and Mayor Sasaki took me to a kendo dojo. I was able to gain a wide range of experiences, and these two weeks were truly meaningful.

When I was taking a walk this morning and thinking about what was the most fun thing, the drinking party with the construction workers was the most fun (lol). I'll come back for drinks again! I'll definitely come back for drinks! Please look forward to it!!!"

I was happy to be able to eat a lot of delicious food (lol) I'll come again!

I came here because I wanted to learn about agriculture. My town is also in the countryside, but the scale of the countryside and the extent of the nature here are different.

It was a town that was larger than the countryside I knew, and I was able to learn about what kind of life people live and what their activities are, so I think it was a good experience.

I was happy to be able to eat a lot of delicious food (lol) I'll come again! Thank you!

It's a truly wonderful town where each farmer shines and one thing stands out: sunflowers.

Once again, I would like to thank everyone who planned this internship, selected me to participate, and looked after me.

When I decided to participate in the internship, I had a vague desire to work on regional revitalization, and I was thinking about the necessity of it.

These two weeks made me keenly aware that these were merely vague, condescending ideas about regional revitalization from a city dweller, without giving much thought to the town itself.

I participated in the agricultural section. I found that the agricultural sector is led by young people more than I had expected, and many of them are keeping a close eye on the town from their own perspectives.

I was surprised to see how many people were seriously thinking about how they could make the most of the town's unique features. I thought it was wonderful that each farmer was shining so brightly.

I have personally traveled to many different areas of Hokkaido, but I don't think I have ever come across a town that shines so brightly and puts one thing, sunflowers, front and center. When I returned to Hokuryu, I was struck by how wonderful this town is, completely covered in sunflowers.

When I heard about Himawari no Sato and attended the meetings, I felt that it was a really interesting town that is always thinking about exciting things.

I hope to continue to be involved in various ways in the future. Thank you very much!

I realized the importance of connections between people.

When you're at university, you don't often get the sense that people are involved, but this time I was able to hear about the thoughts of people who are actually involved in society, such as in the construction industry and agriculture, and it was a very good experience.

I realized the importance of human connections in everything I do.

Through various discussions, I felt that by getting to know the town more deeply, I would be able to have my own perspective and opinions from various angles. It was a good experience to get to know the town.

I learned about the difficulties involved in growing watermelons, as well as the process from harvesting to selling them.

Thank you for the past two weeks. One of the most memorable experiences in farming was when customers tried to negotiate the price when we were selling watermelons at the Watermelon Festival.

We worked for a day and learned about the difficulties involved in growing watermelons, as well as the process from harvesting to selling them.

The selling price is reasonable or even cheaper. I was trying to buy a watermelon that cost 2,500 yen for 1,500 yen. In urban areas, when we shop at the supermarket, we only judge the value of vegetables (products) by price. In short, there is a strong desire to buy at a low price.

I really felt the distance between agriculture and consumers.

What I learned this time was how hard farming is. When I thought about what I could do with that knowledge when I returned home, I realized that the most important crop in Hokuryu is rice.

I heard that rice from Hokuryu Town is sold at restaurants in Kyoto at a slightly higher price, so I thought that one way I could help would be to go to Kyoto and eat Hokuryu Town rice at one of those restaurants.

It was a difference in mindset, and while I had previously thought about eating cheap rice, I now think about going to a Kyoto restaurant and trying the delicious, expensive rice from Hokuryu Town. Thank you for the wonderful two weeks.

The "Town Planning Discussion Meeting" was a valuable experience. It was a very good experience.

I had been thinking about the issues facing rural areas since I was in Tokyo, and I came to the countryside to see what the situation was actually like.

After joining the town hall and looking at things from the perspective of the administrative staff, I realized that a small number of people were handling a lot of work, and that there were many things that they wanted to do but couldn't.

This was a very good experience for me, as I would never have had the opportunity to experience this kind of thing firsthand if I had stayed in Tokyo.

The "Town Development Discussion Meeting" that I attended in the second week was a valuable experience. I realized how difficult it is to create such a forum, where the townspeople and the government can exchange opinions and move in the same direction.

I knew that discussion meetings were being held in various regions, but it was a very good experience to learn what kind of topics were actually discussed.

When I return to Tokyo, I hope to remember and fully digest the experiences I have had here and use them in my future work.

Thank you for allowing me to eat delicious food."

I thought it was wonderful that everyone in the town took such good care of the sunflowers.

Thank you for your time, even though it was only a short two weeks.

The reason I came to this town was to see sunflowers, so I was happy to see the beautiful sunflowers.

I was really impressed when I came to Sunflower Village. It's rare to see sunflowers blooming on such a vast area, so I thought it was amazing. The people of this town say there's nothing there, but I thought that was a shame.

I thought it was wonderful that everyone in the town took such good care of the sunflowers.

My most memorable construction work was dismantling the slide and the observation deck at Sunflower Village. It was quite hard work, but fun.

I learned a lot about construction, but I also learned a lot about the fun and difficult aspects of it all, which made me realize that I was glad I came here.

I had already found a job and wondered if it was okay for me to come, but when I actually came, they told me, "I'd be happy if you would think about construction and this town in the future," which made me very happy.

I would like to think about how to improve the construction industry in the future as a job candidate. Thank you very much.

I definitely want to continue meeting people in the construction industry, and I hope to meet the 10 members of this group.

I learned a lot of things while doing dirty work in the scorching sun and getting covered in sand.

Even though the work was tough, there were many fun moments, like flying drones and being taken out to eat.

Thank you for showing me the various tasks, both manual and mechanical, and for allowing me to learn so many things.

I applied this time because I wanted to go to Hokkaido. I had been thinking about regional revitalization, and I had only seen it from the perspective of someone living in the city, but I was very impressed by opinions such as "It's not just good to preserve the town." I realized that there are new perspectives like that.

I definitely want to continue meeting people in the construction industry, and I hope to meet the 10 members of this group as well.

I was most happy to be able to make these connections! Thank you to everyone at Hokuryu and the 10 members who were involved!

Closing remarks: Deputy Mayor Masaaki Okuda

"Thank you to Akiko Ichii, Representative Director of the Connecting Community Development Institute, and Akiko Kusaka, Representative Director of Hatara Collabo Co., Ltd., for planning and producing these projects.

I have heard that everyone is enjoying a lively and energetic internship.

I believe that everyone's energy will lead to the vitality of the town, and I hope that by continuing these types of events in the future, the town will become more lively.

I was also shown the video of yesterday's report meeting, and it was a wonderful proposal that I found very convincing. I hope that the town will make use of this valuable feedback in the future.

Thank you all for your hard work over the past two weeks. Thank you very much. Please keep up the great work in the future!

Commemorative photo

A gift from Katsuyoshi Takahashi, General Policy Officer and General Affairs Division Chief of Hokuryu Town

Policy Officer Takahashi will present each and every one of you with a postcard and a badge!

A friendly snapshot session

With boundless love, gratitude, and prayers, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the wonderful Hokuryu Town Urban Development Internship, which connects people, connects hearts, and spreads wonderful harmony for the future of the town.

YouTube videos

Other photos

Photos (264 photos) of the Town Internship in Hokuryu Town, Hokkaido are here >>

Related articles and sites

General Incorporated Association Connected Community Development Research Institute

"Tsunaken-san"
The main players in urban development are each town and the people who live there. That's why we think and consider together.▶ "Tsunakensan" website is here >>

Hatara Collabo Co., Ltd.

Hatara Collabo Co., Ltd.
With the philosophy of "making work fun," we support the creation of communities and the creation of active human resources through "work" in collaboration with local governments, such as through corporate recruitment and "Shigoto Convenience Stores."▶ Hatara Collabo website is here >>

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