[New Year's Greetings] Hokuryu Town Council Chairman Shoichi Nakamura

January 1, 2026 ㊗️

New Year's Greetings
Nakamura Shoichi, Chairman of the Hokuryu Town Council

Happy new year
We would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to all townspeople, hoping that you and your families have welcomed the New Year of Reiwa 8 in good health.

Last year, Sanae Takaichi was inaugurated as Japan's first female president of the Liberal Democratic Party and Prime Minister, a move that is said to have shattered the glass ceiling. True to her determination, which earned her the buzzword of the year award, "I'll work hard x5," she has been swiftly tackling a variety of issues, drawing on her high approval ratings. I hope she will make Japan a better place through policies that put the people first.

While natural disasters such as heavy rains, strong winds, forest fires, and the December earthquake off the east coast of Aomori occurred nationwide, this town experienced a calm year without any major disasters. However, it was a hot summer with little rainfall. Even in Hokkaido, summer days continued for over a month, and temperatures remained high in both spring and autumn, leading some to say that the four seasons may have disappeared.

Due to favorable weather conditions, the government has responded to the rice shortage and high prices since the year before last by releasing even the oldest rice from its stockpile. However, these efforts have not been very effective, with the average price currently remaining in the mid-4,000 yen range per 5 kg. Even though new rice has begun to appear on the market, sales of the new rice are said to be poor. While some argue that the JA Group is to blame for the stagnation of rice prices, I believe there is something immeasurable at play within the rice industry as a whole. There are also cases where private companies have signed contracts but then failed to show up to collect the rice, and farmers appear to be struggling with excessively high rice prices. While some predict that rice prices will fall or even plummet in the future, we need to establish standards and policies that both farmers and consumers can agree on.

In recent years, damage caused by bears has been increasing nationwide, with some cases resulting in the loss of human lives. While local hunting associations are struggling, new measures such as emergency gun hunting and government hunters are expected to address the issue in the future. While we want to protect bears' lives, it is inevitable if they endanger people and livestock. It seems necessary to create a mountain environment where bears do not have to come down to human settlements.

We are now in the second of three years of the Regional Revitalization 2.0 grant. We are trying to establish a foothold for the future through measures across the town administration, and we hope that all townspeople will come together and pool their wisdom to move forward toward the future of Hokuryu Town.

This year is the year of the Heiwa Horse, which occurs once every 60 years. Women born in the Heiwa Horse year are said to have violent tempers and shorten their husbands' lives, a superstition that originated with Yaoya Oshichi, who was born in 1666. As a result, the number of births in 1966, 300 years later, fell by 25% from the previous year. And as you all celebrate your 60th birthday this year, both Heiwa and Horse have the properties of fire, so this year is symbolized by the power of fire, and we hope that it will be a passionate, powerful, and better year for you.

Time flies, and there is only a little over a year left until the next election. I hope that more candidates than the quota will run for the next spring's election. I also ask for your continued support in providing opinions, requests, and guidance to the assembly.

In conclusion, I would like to offer my heartfelt wishes for good health and happiness to all the townspeople and wish you a happy new year.

[Quoted from Hokuryu Public Relations, January 2026 issue, No. 725]

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