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EDITORIALS
Creating a town where children can dream. Creating the future with Urahoro Town's hometown tax payment.
What kind of town is Urahoro?
Urahoro is a town with a population of approximately 4,500 located in the Tokachi region of Hokkaido. Many producers are proudly engaged in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries in a harsh environment facing nature. The town produces hairy crabs, octopus, autumn salmon, salmon roe, etc. as blessings from the sea, and wheat, azuki beans, etc. as blessings from the fields. With a food self-sufficiency rate of 2,900%, the area is a major production center that supports the nation's food supply from the ground up.
Aiming to Create a Sustainable Community
In 2007, the "Uraboro Style" activity was launched with the aim of sustaining the community through the collaboration of schools, government, NPOs, local residents, and even city workers in order to realize a community where children can continue to hold out hope.
Five projects that are being undertaken by the community as a whole under "Uraboro Style
Projects to foster attachment to the community Children discover the charms of the region on their own and present them to the public
Rural community experience projects Experience agriculture, forestry, and fishing, and homestay with an agriculture, forestry, and fishing family to realize the value of "food" and "life
Realization of Children's Aspirations Children's wishes for a town like this" and "I want to do something like this to revitalize the town" will be realized by adults.
Project to develop connections among high school students High school students who want to continue to be involved in Urahoro even after attending high school outside of the town will work proactively as the "Urahoro Club".
Youth Job Creation Project Creating jobs for young people so that they can continue to live and work in Urahoro
We interviewed Mr. Kanta Omi, who received training in "Urahoro-style" and works at Tokachi Urahoro-Rakusha!
What kind of work do you do?
Mikita Omi, General Incorporated Association Tokachi-Urahororakusha
The "General Incorporated Association Tokachi-Urahoro Raku-sha" is an organization that works as a new form of local collaboration, collaborating with local government and businesses to address local problems and issues that need to be solved. We also work with companies in the Tokyo metropolitan area to connect them with Urahoro through Rakurakusha. We are also involved in online implementation of lectures at community centers that were unable to be held as usual due to the new strain of coronavirus, and we are also engaged in a hometown tax payment project partially outsourced by the government. I am in charge of the "Mail Magazine," which provides information on Urahoro Town's activities and tax returns from the perspective of a town resident who has been educated in the "Urahoro style" since elementary school.
What do you think makes Urahoro Town unique, Mr. Omi?
Mikita Om i
The only high school in town closed in 2010. When I became a high school student, there was no high school in Urahoro, so I went to a high school outside the town. I had been born and raised in Urahoro until then, so this was the first time I had the opportunity to interact with people from other towns. At that time, I thought, "Many people in Urahoro like Urahoro. While people in other towns are always saying, "There is nothing to do in my town," I felt that people in Urahoro are less likely to say that, perhaps because they know what is good about Urahoro.
What was the most impressive thing about "Urahoro Style"?
Mikita Omi
As part of "Uraboro Style," third-year junior high school students have an opportunity to think about what they can do to revitalize the town and present their ideas to the town. Not only people from the town office but also local residents come to listen to the presentation. The adults asked us sharp questions that are not the kind of questions you would ask a third grader, and they did so with scary eyes. I was able to see that there were adults who took our opinions so seriously, and it made me want to return to Urahoro and work there.
What spots do you recommend in Urahoro?
Mikita Omi
This is the Kelp Cutting Stone Observatory! That place is always so beautiful. It is especially great at sunset or in the dark at night to look at the stars.
Kombukariishi Observatory (photo by Mr. Mikita Omi)
Starry sky viewed from the Kombukariishi Observatory (photo courtesy of Tokachi-Urahororakusha)
Urahoro Town Today
Urahoro Town is currently conducting a hometown tax payment type crowdfunding campaign. We want to create a new industry that makes use of the town's rare products and makes children want to work in their hometown! Urahoro Town will use the donations from the crowdfunding to create industries that will make children want to "continue living and working in Urahoro! Urahoro Town will use the donations from the crowdfunding to create industries that will make children want to continue living and working in Urahoro.
- Support for the establishment and operation of processing facilities to add value to Urahoro's various products and offer them to the public.
- Support for the development and operation of sales channels for agricultural, forestry, and fishery products and for the creation of a system for communicating the wishes of local producers.
- Support for planning, production, and implementation of events for products developed in response to the wishes of children, as typified by hama-nasu (Japanese eggplant).
- Cost of holding a harvesting event for local children and supporters of this project during the hamanasu harvesting season next spring.
- Support for solving other problems that Urahoro faces in its efforts to create a sustainable community.
What kind of tax returns does Urahoro-cho offer?
Here are 4 products of Urahoro Town's hometown tax returns! (Added and modified on March 16, 2021)Dried noodles of Hokkaido's Tartary buckwheat "Manten Kirari" 300g x 2 bags
Hokkaido Tartary buckwheat tea "Manten Kirari" 200g x 1 bag
This thick milk can be stored for 60 days! Shipped directly from the Urahoro factory! Morinaga Hokkaido 3.6 Milk (1000ml)
Rosa rugosa hand cream 40g x 1 bottle
Conclusion
What did you think of Urahoro Town's efforts to create the future? Living in the town and interacting with the adults become the children's original experiences, and they become attached to the community. The adults who have made Urahoro what it is today and the children who will make Urahoro what it will be in the future create a synergistic effect that has a positive impact on the town, which is a very wonderful trend.
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For those of you who worked hard this year.
Rewards from Hokkaido.
\mdash; Domingo (official) | Official city, town and village! Hokkaido's Information Media (@cfm_domingo) December 26, 2020
" #Urahorocho Hometown Set" will be given to 5 winners by lottery 🎁
Don't miss out on this gorgeous set of gifts from the land 👀
[How to apply]
①Follow @cfm_domingo
② Retweet this post or quote retweet
Applications are open until 1/8 https://t.co/6SMryhAYMR&