Thursday, February 27, 2025
Mayor Yasuhiro Sasaki held the February Hokuryu Town Attraction Search from 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, February 20th. The February Hokuryu Town Attraction Search focused on the residents who work hard to remove snow from Hokuryu Town.
- 1 February's Charm of Hokuryu Town: Townspeople working hard to remove snow
- 1.1 Garage Miyajima Co., Ltd., Representative: Yasuhide Miyajima
- 1.2 Hideki Oji, Representative Director of Daiwa Kogyo Co., Ltd.
- 1.3 Kanayama Wakabayashi Co., Ltd. (Representative: Tomonori Kanayama) and Shuji Ito (driver of the Himawari sightseeing car in summer)
- 1.4 Mitsuyuki Koshida, Representative of Shiomi Construction Co., Ltd.
- 1.5 Miharu Yamagami (fourth-year employee at Honoka Agricultural Cooperative) riding in a large snow removal truck
- 2 Snow depth in Hokuryu Town: 164cm (February 24th) [Windy]
- 3 YouTube videos
- 4 Other photos
- 5 Related articles
February's Charm of Hokuryu Town: Townspeople working hard to remove snow
We spoke with Miyajima Yasuhide, president of Garage Miyajima Co., Ltd., Oji Hideki, president of Daiwa Kogyo Co., Ltd., Ito Hideji, president of Kanayama Wakabayashi Co., Ltd. (Kanayama Tomonori), and Koshida Mitsuyuki, president of Shiomi Construction Co., Ltd.
In the afternoon, we visited Yamagami Miharu (24 years old, in her fourth year with the Honoka Agricultural Cooperative), who works hard in a large snow removal truck at the Hokuryu Town Snow Removal Center.
Mayor Sasaki had official duties in the afternoon and was unable to make the visit to offer encouragement, but he had expressed his desire to "please cover and report on Yamagami Miharu's hard work," so we went to the snow removal center to interview her.
Garage Miyajima Co., Ltd., Representative: Yasuhide Miyajima
"Until now, farmers have been actively clearing snow with tractors as a part-time job during the winter, which has helped the town's residents by clearing snow thoroughly.
However, in recent years, the machinery has become outdated, and as the work progresses and is being passed on to the sons of farmers, it has become more difficult for farmers to clear the snow, and an increasing number of farmers are quitting.
In response to this situation, snow removal work is currently contracted out to contractors. Contractors also need to deal with breakdowns in snow removal tractors and other equipment. Just because a tractor breaks down doesn't mean they can't remove snow. That's why our company leases vehicles, so we can immediately use a replacement vehicle if one breaks down. This is how we work hard for the townspeople. We currently have 24 contracts.
"We also have issues with snow removal at the town's bus stops and garbage stations. From now on, I think the entire town needs to think about managing snow removal within the town," says Miyajima with a deep sense of purpose.
"There are many issues with snow removal, such as where to dump it and how much it costs, so we would like to respond to requests as much as possible," said Mayor Sasaki.
Hideki Oji, Representative Director of Daiwa Kogyo Co., Ltd.
"There are a variety of issues regarding snow removal. Town residents are silently removing snow on town-owned land, such as the town's children's park, so I think we need to consider ways to manage the issue as a town, such as by requiring users to register to use snow removal sites.
"The snow removal fees vary depending on the company. If they charge a low price, the work will be sloppy, which will lead to complaints from residents and people will start throwing snow onto the road, which is very dangerous," said Oji.
"There are various problems at the town-owned snow dumping site, so we would like to deal with them properly in the future," said Mayor Sasaki.
Kanayama Wakabayashi Co., Ltd. (Representative: Tomonori Kanayama) and Shuji Ito (driver of the Himawari sightseeing car in summer)
"I'm in charge of snow removal from private homes, the post office, and 17 other locations. I remove snow in between clearing tasks, and I've used a 4-ton truck to remove the equivalent of 500 loads of snow. There's been a lot of snow this year, so it's been tough," says Ito.
Mitsuyuki Koshida, Representative of Shiomi Construction Co., Ltd.
"The snow removal contract situation is as follows:
- Snow removal within the JA Kitasorachi Hokuryu Branch (snow removal areas include the branch premises, oil base, agricultural equipment center, Wa Stand, Wa and Hekisui warehouses, and includes snow removal twice a year)
- Temples (2 temples, Kotokuji Temple and Ryusenji Temple)
- Private residence (1 house)
The heavy machinery used is a WA150 wheel loader and a 0.7m3 backhoe. Two people will be required (one liaison officer and one wheel loader driver).
Snow removal work standards are when snowfall exceeds approximately 10 cm or when there is a request from the local area. If snowfall is expected throughout the day, we will dispatch personnel once in the morning and once in the afternoon. However, if safety cannot be ensured due to blizzards, etc., we will refrain from dispatching personnel.
These snow removal tasks are carried out to ensure the safety and security of townspeople during the winter, and it is rewarding to be a part of that work.
We believe that by collaborating with other snow removal agencies, we will be able to carry out our work smoothly.
"Our future challenges include training young operators, and as a countermeasure to rising costs, we will be shortening idling time, adjusting packed snow roads, and preventing sudden acceleration and braking. We will implement measures to ensure stable snow removal and disposal so that there is no decline in service," explained Representative Koshida in a detailed manner.
Miharu Yamagami (fourth-year employee at Honoka Agricultural Cooperative) riding in a large snow removal truck
"I wanted to take part in the rice harvesting, so I decided to get a large vehicle license so I could drive combine harvesters and large transport trucks. I got it in the fall of last year (2023).
If I only had a regular driver's license, I would have fewer opportunities to drive a variety of different types of vehicles, so I decided to take the plunge and give it a try.
I only started clearing snow in the winter in December of last year, so I'm still not used to it and it's incredibly difficult. Right now I'm working on transporting the snow.
Everyone is very kind and gives me guidance, so I am able to do my best and do work that is useful to the town.
Driving is done manually, so the steering wheel and clutch are difficult to operate, and I'm short, so it's hard for me to reach the pedals, so I have to use all my strength. At first, I would end up with muscle pain all over my body after work.
"Everyone in Hokuryu is kind, warm, and fun; it's a really great town. I'd like to continue living here," said Miharu with a lovely smile.
We would like to express our deepest gratitude to the townspeople and all those involved who work tirelessly to support and protect the safety and security of people living in this town buried under snow during the harsh winter. Thank you so much!
Snow depth in Hokuryu Town: 164cm (February 24th) [Windy]
YouTube videos
Other photos
Related articles
◇ Interview and text: Ikuko Terauchi (Photography and editing assistance: Noboru Terauchi)
