[New Year's Greetings] Junichi Fukase, Chairman of the Hokuryu Land Improvement District

January 1, 2026 ㊗️

New Year's Greetings
Junichi Fukase, Chairman of the Hokuryu Land Improvement District

We would like to extend our best wishes for the New Year.
We would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to all our members, hoping that they will welcome the hopeful new year of Reiwa 8 in good health. We would also like to express our sincere gratitude for your continued understanding and cooperation in the operation of our land improvement district.

Looking back at last year, the weather remained unstable across the country, and the environment surrounding agriculture remained difficult. In addition to the difficulty of water management due to low rainfall and heavy downpours, the farming environment faced many challenges, including rising prices for materials and fuel and labor shortages. Despite these circumstances, we would like to express our deepest gratitude to all our members for their tireless efforts and cooperation, which enabled us to proceed with the proper maintenance of farmland and irrigation facilities.

Land improvement districts play an important role in protecting the foundations of agriculture while also supporting local lifestyles and the environment. It is our important mission to properly maintain the agricultural facilities built by our predecessors and ensure that they are passed on to the next generation. Furthermore, in order to adapt to changing times, more flexible and sustainable management is required than ever before, including measures to address facility deterioration, efficient maintenance and management, responses to climate change, and consideration for environmental conservation.

This year, we will further enhance our existing efforts with the basic policy of "Establishing a safe, secure and sustainable agricultural infrastructure." We will strive to extend the lifespan of our facilities and to develop a management system based on new ideas, such as the use of digital technology. Furthermore, we will value the voices of our members and aim to operate in a way that is trusted by the land improvement district, which works together with the community.

In closing, I would like to wish all our members good health and happiness, and I would like to conclude my New Year's greetings by sincerely hoping that this year will be a year of further development for local agriculture.

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

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