㊗️ Yutaka Sano wins unopposed election for mayor of Hokuryu town and appeals for town development that "shares joy" in street speech

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

On Tuesday, January 28th, at 9am, under a clear blue sky and with a minimum temperature of -21°C, the Hokuriku election was announced, and in front of the Hokuriku Town Hall, Mr. Yutaka Sano, who had completed his registration, gave a street speech, with many townspeople gathering.

Street speech

Greetings from Election Strategy Headquarters Chief Hitoshi Takebayashi

Moderator: Mr. Satoshi Ono, Election Strategy Headquarters

Guest speech: Hokuryu Town Council Member and Vice-Chairman Masahito Fujii

People listening attentively

Yutaka Sano's first street speech

"This is the coldest day of the year. Despite the bitter cold and your busy schedules, so many of you have gathered here today. I would like to express my sincere gratitude. The Hokuryu Town mayoral election has finally been announced. I have run for mayor three times, praying for the safety and happiness of all townspeople. I would like to ask for your support.

Creating a town where all residents can "share joy"

Today, as society undergoes major changes, we are facing a historic turning point in all areas, including global environmental issues and natural disasters that cause enormous damage. I would like to promote the development of Hokuryu Town, where all residents can "share in the joy" by focusing on the environment, food, and health, making the most of the town's attractions, and by providing safe and secure agricultural products, centered around sunflowers, and the Hokuryu Hot Springs resort facility.

Promoting agriculture in Hokuryu Town

Hokuryu Town's agriculture, which produces safe agricultural products, has attracted attention from all over the country. As you may already know, the Sunflower Rice Producers' Association has obtained certification for its Sunflower Rice under the JAS standard for agricultural products with production information disclosure. Hokuryu Town is the only producer association in the country to have obtained this certification.

Hokuryu Town's sunflower rice is the safest and most reliable rice in Japan. People from advanced rice farming regions have come to inspect the rice. It has been highly praised for delivering safe food to consumers, and was awarded the Japan Agriculture Award Grand Prize. Hokuryu Town's rice production is now number one in Japan.

Cherishing the feelings for Hokuryu Town from all over the country

Furthermore, in the hometown tax donation system, Hokuryu Town has received over 300 million yen in donations for five consecutive years, from 2015 to this year. This is because Hokuryu Town's safe agricultural products, such as sunflower rice, sunflower melons, Kurosengoku soybeans, and rice cakes, are highly regarded throughout the country. The projected final settlement for this year's hometown tax donation is expected to be 542 million yen. This is truly gratifying.

We will treasure the sentiments for Hokuryu Town that have been expressed from all over the country, and will use these donations wisely as they represent a valuable financial resource for the town's future development. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all the producers who have been producing safe, reliable, and excellent rice for many years. We will continue to firmly and powerfully promote agriculture in Hokuryu Town by supporting the establishment of agricultural corporations, supporting the marriage of young successors, and actively accepting agricultural trainees.

To make the sunflower village a place where tourists can visit all year round

The number of tourists to Sunflower Village is increasing every year, and last year, despite the Sunflower Festival being held for five days less than usual, the second highest number of tourists ever, 286,000, visited the village, making it very lively.

Thanks to the sophisticated use of the internet to disseminate information and the remarkable efforts of North Dragon, a local hero founded by young people in the town, the number of tourists is increasing year by year. Sunflower Village is now known as one of the most breathtaking views not only in Japan but around the world, and the scenery that captures the hearts of many visitors is the result of many years of hard work by the townspeople. I am truly delighted.

Thirty years have passed since the construction of Sunflower Village. The observation deck and tourist center have deteriorated significantly. Sunflower Village is a one-month event that runs from the end of July to the end of August. Having given careful consideration to the future of Sunflower Village, we would like to think about how we can hold a variety of events that will attract tourists throughout the year.

Children are the town's treasure, so we support hard-working children.

Children are the treasure of our town and the foundation that will carry our future. We aim to provide the best child-rearing support in Japan so that all parents can raise their children with peace of mind.

According to the results of a nationwide academic achievement test conducted last year, the average scores of sixth graders at Shinryu Elementary School in arithmetic and third graders at Hokuryu Junior High School in Japanese and mathematics were the highest in the nation. While the average scores in Hokkaido and Sorachi were below the national average, the children of Hokuryu Town achieved truly outstanding results. We will support these hard-working children, teach them the importance of having dreams for the future, and show them how to make those dreams come true, thereby raising children who are socially adept.

Two projects: snow protection and footing

Finally, once this election is over, I would like to launch two projects. The first is to create a winter lifestyle similar to that of a northern region, and I am considering measures to deal with snow. The townspeople have a very hard time clearing snow, so I am still thinking about how to make it more comfortable for them, but I would like to develop measures to deal with snow.

The other is to ensure everyone has transportation. This means further improving public transportation. We currently have shared taxis and school buses, but we have received feedback that these are not sufficient, so we would like to streamline local public transportation in a way that is acceptable to everyone.

I have had thorough discussions with the assembly, administration, and townspeople, and with their understanding, I hope to be able to lead the town government in my third term. There is still much I would like to say, but since it is so cold, I will wrap it up here.

We will work hard to create a town where the townspeople are happy.

"We will fully implement measures to support elderly welfare and support commerce and industry, so I hope for your understanding. We will work hard to create a town where residents can live in peace and happiness, so I would like to ask everyone to expand the circle of support, and that will be my opening remarks. Thank you very much, everyone," said Sano in a powerful tone.

Everyone cheers "Gambaro!"

Everyone chanted the "Gambaro" call, "Let's do our best to help Sano Yutaka win!!!"

Campaigning in Hokuryu Town

After this, we will be driving around town in a campaign vehicle until 5pm, giving street speeches.

Uncontested election: 5:00 p.m., town disaster prevention radio broadcast

A little after 5 p.m., the town disaster prevention radio broadcast:
"The application period for the Hokuryu election on February 2, 2020, closed at 5:00 p.m. on January 28. As a result, there was one candidate registered for the one seat allotted, and the following candidate was elected without a vote:

"Mr. Yutaka Sano (68 years old), an independent and incumbent member of the House of Representatives, will therefore not be voting on February 2nd," the broadcast said.

Yutaka Sano has been elected unopposed. Congratulations!!!
I wish you continued success in your third term as Mayor of Hokuryu.

With great respect, gratitude, and prayers for the bright future of Hokuryu Town...

Other photos

▶ Photos (42 photos) of Yutaka Sano's street speech in the Hokuryu Town Mayoral Election >>

Related articles

・Announcement of the schedule for the Hokuryu Town Mayoral Election and information session for candidates(January 7, 2020)
　

◇ Photography and editing: Noboru Terauchi Interview and text: Ikuko Terauchi