Friday, June 20, 2025
- 1 Congratulations! Celebration for Mr. Seisuke Tanaka receiving the Order of the Rising Sun, Silver Rays
- 1.1 Holding a celebration party
- 1.2 Founder
- 1.3 Couple entrance
- 1.4 Moderator: Hajime Nanba, General Affairs Division, Hokuryu Town Hall
- 1.5 Representative speech from the promoter: Hokuryu Town Council Chairman Nakamura Shoichi
- 1.6 Bouquet presentation: Bouquet presented by great-grandson Sota Azuma
- 1.7 Congratulatory speech: Mayor Yasuhiro Sasaki of Hokuryu Town
- 1.8 Commemorative gift presentation: Ms. Keiko Banda, Assistant Section Chief, General Affairs Section, Hokuryu Town Hall
- 1.9 Acknowledgments: Mr. Moriaki Tanaka
- 1.10 Toast: Mr. Ryoji Kikura, Honorary Citizen of Hokuryu Town
- 1.11 celebration
- 1.12 Three cheers: Former Mayor Yutaka Sano
- 1.13 Profile of Mr. Moriaki Tanaka
- 2 YouTube videos
- 3 Other photos
- 4 Related articles
Congratulations! Celebration for Mr. Seisuke Tanaka receiving the Order of the Rising Sun, Silver Rays
On Saturday, June 14th, from 2:00 p.m., former Hokuryu Town Council Chairman Morisuke Tanaka (88 years old) was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, an award bestowed upon persons of advanced age, and a celebration for the award was held at Sunflower Park Hokuryu Onsen.
Holding a celebration party
On Saturday, June 14th, a celebration was held for former Hokuryu Town Council Chairman Moriaki Tanaka (88 years old) to receive the Order of the Rising Sun, Silver Rays.
- Order of the Rising Sun, Silver Rays: Awarded to those who have made distinguished contributions to the nation and the public, and who have performed outstanding deeds in various fields of society.
- Awards for the Elderly: Awarded to those who have made distinguished contributions but have not yet received the Spring and Autumn Orders of Merit upon reaching the age of 88.
Founder
- Representative of the founders:Mr. Shoichi Nakamura (Chairman of the Hokuryu Town Council)
- Founder:Mr. Koji Kawada (Chairman of the Council Alumni Association), Mr. Masato Sawada (Chairman of the Nishikawa Neighborhood Association), Mr. Hideyuki Minami (Chairman of the General Assembly)
Couple entrance
Moderator: Hajime Nanba, General Affairs Division, Hokuryu Town Hall
Representative speech from the promoter: Hokuryu Town Council Chairman Nakamura Shoichi
"Today, on behalf of the organizers, I would like to offer greetings at the celebration being held for the awarding of the Order of the Rising Sun, Silver Rays to Town Council Chairman Seisuke Tanaka.
The town and others have been working together to prepare for this celebration, and the announcement was made jointly by the town council chairman, Kawada, chairman of the town council alumni association, Sawada, chairman of the Nishikawa Neighborhood Association, which Tanaka-san previously belonged to, and Minami, chairman of the general assembly. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all of you for attending in such large numbers, despite your busy schedules.
Mr. Tanaka was born in Nishikawa in January 1937, graduated from Shinryu Elementary School and Hokuryu Junior High School, and began working in agriculture in 1952.
He then graduated from Nopporo Dairy High School through correspondence courses in 1956, and has lived in Hokuryu Town for many years, working as a farmer.
In 1983, he was elected to the Hokuryu Town Council with the support of the local community, and served in that position for 16 years, spanning four terms. In his third term, he served as vice-chairman, and in his fourth term, he fully demonstrated his skills as chairman.
After his fourth term, he retired and handed over his seat to his successor. However, not only during his term as a member of the Diet, but also before and after, he served as chairman of numerous organizations, and I believe his character and abilities have been highly regarded. For this reason, I would like to extend my congratulations and best wishes to him on receiving the Order of the Rising Sun, Silver Rays.
In his youth, he was active in youth group activities, including the Sakuraoka Youth Group, and served as chairman of the Hokuryu Town Youth Group Liaison Council in 1963 and 1964, and as chairman of the Kita Sorachi Youth Group Council in 1967.
As a result, he has friends from that time all over Zenro, and he is serving as a council member of the Hokkaido Youth Hall General Incorporated Foundation and vice president of the Hokkaido Youth Association Alumni Association.
I was also a council member at the same time, and when Mr. Tanaka was absent, many people would ask me things like, "Is Mochi-chan doing well?"
He has also been involved with his family temple, Hokoji Temple in Otagawa, Shinshu, since he was young, and participated in the establishment of the Sosei Nenkai, serving as its second chairman.The Sosei Nenkai continues to run today.
He was elected as a representative in 2000, served as deputy representative chairman in 2009, and served as representative chairman for one term of three years in 2018. After retiring from that position, he has been in charge of management as a responsible officer since 2021.
In recent years, he has been enjoying playing park golf in the summer, maintaining his health and deepening friendships with his friends. He is quite skilled at the game and has won many tournaments.
In closing, in this era of 100-year lifespans, I hope that Mr. Tanaka and Mrs. Kazuko will take good care of their health and stay healthy, and I pray for the continued prosperity of the Tanaka family.
"I would also like to extend my best wishes for good health and happiness to all of you attending today. Thank you very much for joining us today," said Chairman Nakamura in his opening remarks.
Bouquet presentation: Bouquet presented by great-grandson Sota Azuma
Congratulatory speech: Mayor Yasuhiro Sasaki of Hokuryu Town
"I would like to offer my congratulations on behalf of all of you here.
Congratulations to Mr. Moriaki Tanaka on receiving the Order of the Rising Sun, Silver Rays.
Mr. Tanaka Moriaki worked in the family business of agriculture, and together with his family, he devoted himself to the family business, striving to establish agriculture and stabilize agricultural management.
Furthermore, in 1983, he was nominated by local residents and elected to the Hokuryu Town Council. He served as chairman of the Standing Committee on Industry and Construction, vice-chairman of the council, and then as council chairman, and over his four terms of 16 years, he worked hard to ensure the smooth running of the council, as well as to promote industry, improve welfare, improve the living environment, and improve education and culture in the town, making a significant contribution to the promotion and development of local autonomy.
It is the Order of the Rising Sun, Silver Rays. The category of "contributions to local government" indicates a significant achievement, but local government does not simply mean serving as a council member for a long time, but rather it is about all aspects of life for the residents, improving welfare, and caring for the townspeople, and I believe that this is what led to receiving the award.
I feel this way when I see how Mr. Tanaka has lived his life. Today, the sports day at Wa Nursery School started this morning. From morning until the morning, it was a sports day for the children who represent this town, and the place was filled with lively cheers and happy voices.
There was also a local government baseball tournament held at the town hall. I used to play in this tournament too, and the young people who work there, who represent the town, competed hard in the baseball games.
Mr. Tanaka has worked so hard and been so active in so many different fields, so I think today's celebration is a wonderful day.
We are extremely grateful that the children, young people, and seniors will be cheering us on to this wonderful day.
I was first elected to the Diet in 1987. At the time, there were seven newcomers out of a total of 14 seats.
With the exception of the chairman, the majority of the members were newcomers, so it was actually a rather disrespectful move.
It was the new members of the assembly who tried to make all the decisions. Mr. Tanaka was quick to notice this. He taught me the fundamentals of what a parliament is, saying, "That's not what a parliament is like in the first place. This is what a parliament is like." I learned this lesson from him and I believe he gave me invaluable guidance.
Mr. Nakamura was the 9th Speaker of the Assembly, I am the 12th Speaker, and the current Speaker, Mr. Nakamura, is the 13th Speaker, so I would like to work within the history of this Assembly.
Another thing is that someone went to the Sorachi City Council of Chairpersons, and at that time, due to the power of numbers, a member of a local assembly monopolized the positions of chairman and vice-chairman.
At that time, Mr. Tanaka said something like, "Small towns also have strong self-governance, so it would be a big mistake for only large towns to monopolize the officers and three top positions of the Council of Chairpersons."
Thanks to this, the current Sorachi City Council of Chairpersons is staffed by chairpersons of high moral character, and we are extremely grateful that our small town is now able to properly carry out its own governance.
Since then, he has been the head of various organizations. I hope that he will continue to be a member of those organizations and continue to support the town.
We hope that you and your spouse will continue to stay in good health and continue to provide us with your guidance.
"In closing, I would like to offer my congratulatory remarks to the Tanaka family and everyone participating today, wishing them continued success. Congratulations on your success today," said Mayor Sasaki.
Commemorative gift presentation: Ms. Keiko Banda, Assistant Section Chief, General Affairs Section, Hokuryu Town Hall
Acknowledgments: Mr. Moriaki Tanaka
"Thank you very much for holding such a grand celebration for me receiving the award.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the organizers of this event, and especially to Mr. Minami and Mr. Banda from the town hall. Thank you very much.
I have just received some very generous words from the initiators, Chairman Nakamura, and Mayor Sasaki. I am truly humbled. Thank you very much.
Looking back, my parents divorced in 1988 when I was two years old, and my life since then has been full of ups and downs, but thanks to your kind guidance, I have somehow managed to get to where I am today. Thank you very much.
In addition, I have served in the Diet for four terms, a total of 16 years. It is in recognition of this that I have received this award, which has been bestowed upon me by all of you. Thank you very much.
I would like to live up to this chapter in my life and give back in some small way, but I no longer have the strength to do so. I intend to cause as little trouble as possible and live each day with gratitude, so I would appreciate your continued guidance and support.
"Finally, I would like to offer my heartfelt prayers for your continued good health and success, as well as for your continued happiness. I would like to express my gratitude, although it may be very simple. Thank you very much," said Tanaka, expressing his deep gratitude in his speech.
Toast: Mr. Ryoji Kikura, Honorary Citizen of Hokuryu Town
"I have been receiving guidance from Mr. Tanaka for 70 years.
Today, I would like to introduce two things about Tanaka from his youth that not many people know about.
Mr. Tanaka was a farmer in Nishikawa with a very small amount of land, and he had a very hard time. What I will never forget is that Mr. Tanaka worked hard as a pioneer of the Akabira coal mine in Utashinai, in order to survive, for his family, and to protect his farming business.
I have seen Mr. Tanaka make such desperate efforts to protect his home in the scorching heat, at a time when any accident would mean the end of his life.
I didn't have the courage to work like Mr. Tanaka, so I worked for Sasaki Kengyo for 18 years, but I will never forget how Mr. Tanaka lived his life.
Another point: when Tanaka-san started his youth group activities, Hokuryu Town included the 12 towns and villages of Kita-Sorachi and Ebe-Otsu, so in the star athletics competition, Hokuryu came in 5th or 6th in Class B.
The event began with Tanaka Moriaki and Kanayama saying, "This is no good. Why do we have to lose?"
Mr. Kanayama is a very intelligent person, and we had many discussions about how we should work to beat other towns and cities.
We then appealed to the superintendent of education about our enthusiasm and received support and guidance from teachers at Hokuryu High School, Hokuryu Junior High School, the principal of Hekisui Elementary School, and our kendo teacher.
Then, Tanaka and Kanayama decided, "We'll get the whole town involved," and got everyone involved, including the town hall, land improvement project, and the chamber of commerce, and made an effort to "show the power of Hokuryu."
Without Mr. Tanaka's voice of "Let's do it," I think things would have ended up stagnating.
With the guidance of the teachers and the enthusiasm of the Board of Education, we were able to reach the top of Class A in our third year, win the championship in our fourth year, and become an ever-victorious Hokuryu.
Tanaka's powerful attitude of "Why do we have to lose? We can do it too," and Kanayama's ability to come up with various intelligent strategies - I am proud of the time I spent in my youth working alongside and receiving guidance from these two men.
In 1965, the Hokkai Times Company held a relay race around Kita-Sorachi and reached Horokanai.
There were no athletes from Hokuryu who could possibly participate. However, Mr. Tanaka said, "If we can't be the first, it's no good. We're going to participate no matter what." The teacher and Mr. Tanaka traveled by motorbike for two days from Mihoushi to Ryusei, and gathered nine athletes to participate.
At first, it was a disaster. I heard that after the race, he ended up at the very back of the pack, unable to see the end of the road in the mountains of Tadoshi, and had to ride his companion's bike to pass the baton to the next runner. After the race, he had a moment of reflection and thought, "This isn't good enough. Why can't we do what other people can do?" After that, he practiced intensely every night and continued to work hard.
In the second tournament, they came within three seconds of the winning team, and in the third, fourth, and fifth tournaments, they became so strong that they were able to win in overwhelming fashion all three times.
And it wasn't just track and field, but kendo, judo, sumo, volleyball, and all the other athletics associations, and we all worked hard under the deep passion of Chairman Shinohara. Mr. Tanaka said, 'Okay, let's declare this a town of sports and create a bright town through sports,' and with the help of the Board of Education, we were able to become the second town in Japan to be declared a 'town of sports.'
Surrounded by the generous support of Chairman Shinohara, each member worked hard and the Hokuryu Town Sports Association was eventually awarded the Hokkaido Sports Award.
It was all thanks to Tanaka Moriaki's force and Kanayama's intelligent control of it, and I believe the combined strength of these two has been a great source of strength for Hokuryu.
When the youth group was at its peak, there were over 3,000 members in 12 towns and villages in Kita Sorachi. Naturally, Mr. Moriaki Tanaka and Mr. Shinichi Kanayama were at the forefront of the group and made great efforts.
I was fortunate to be appointed Secretary General both times, and I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to work and serve such wonderful people in my life, which has brought me to where I am today.
Tanaka's strengths of "never giving up," "taking on challenges without being discouraged no matter what," "never complaining," and "putting absolute trust in your colleagues while moving forward" have left a great legacy for Hokuryu today. I would like to express my sincere gratitude. Thank you.
"Let's toast to Tanaka-san's award! Congratulations!" said Kikura-san in a heartfelt toast.
celebration
A sumptuous meal was served, and conversations with Mayor Sasaki, town council members, and relatives flowed in a relaxed atmosphere.
All participants shared in Mr. Tanaka's joy.
Three cheers: Former Mayor Yutaka Sano
"It was a wonderful and peaceful celebration for Tanaka-san.
We are extremely grateful to Mr. Tanaka for all his help. Congratulations on receiving the Order of the Rising Sun, Silver Rays! Please join us in chanting "Banzai" three times!
I am truly delighted that he has received this Order of the Rising Sun, Silver Rays, in recognition of his many years of contributions to promoting regional development and the development of Hokuryu Town.
This is Tanaka Moriaki's determination to continue his life to the age of 100. I would like to offer my heartfelt prayers for the health and happiness of the Tanaka family and all those in attendance, and I will loudly shout "Banzai" three times.
Congratulations, Tanaka-san! Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!"
And together with everyone, former Mayor Sano gave three heartfelt cheers!
<Seeing off>
Profile of Mr. Moriaki Tanaka
- Born in January 1937 (88 years old)
- Graduated from Shinryu Elementary School and Hokuryu Junior High School.
- He has been engaged in agriculture since 1952.
- In 1956, he graduated from Nopporo Dairy High School through correspondence courses.
- He has lived in Hokuryu Town for many years, making his living as a farmer.
- In 1983, he was elected to the Hokuryu Town Council with the recommendation of the local community.
- He served for four terms and 16 years (1983-1999).
- He served as vice-chairman in his third term and as chairman in his fourth term, demonstrating his skills to the fullest.
- He has served as the leader of the Hokuryu Town Youth Group and the Kita Sorachi Youth Group.
- September 1963: Chairman of the Hokuryu Town Youth Group Liaison Council.
- 1967: Chairman of the Kita Sorachi Youth Organization Council.
- The youth group is an organization made up of young men and women in their 20s and 30s from each region, and they hold various sports and cultural activities, research meetings, etc. Through these activities, Mr. Tanaka built the foundation for his character development.
- He worked for Kanayama Construction for five years while also working in agriculture.
- In 2000, when Kanayama Construction Co., Ltd. established a new field, the Agricultural Contracting Department, as an agricultural contracting business, Mr. Tanaka, a farmer, took the lead in developing the new business.
- This project involved sending construction company employees and former local farmers to work on farms during the busy farming season, and was featured in major newspapers and on NHK at the time, attracting a lot of attention.
- He served as chairman of the Social Welfare Council for 10 years.
- After retirement, he enjoys playing park golf.
- On February 1, 2025, he was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Silver Rays.
YouTube videos
Other photos
Related articles
Related to Mr. Moriaki Tanaka
Awards
◇ Photography, editing, and website management: Noboru Terauchi Writer: Ikuko Terauchi
