No.97 Top 10 News of Inagi City in the First Year of Reiwa

First, looking back at last year, the biggest news was that His Majesty the Emperor of the Heisei era abdicated, and Crown Prince Naruhito ascended the throne on May 1, 2019, marking the change of the era name to Reiwa.

In happy news, in February of the first year of Reiwa, JAXA's Hayabusa2 spacecraft successfully landed on the asteroid Ryugu, and in October of the first year of Reiwa, Akira Yoshino, an honorary fellow of Asahi Kasei who developed lithium-ion batteries, was selected for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Sad news includes the major fire that occurred in April of the first year of Reiwa at Notre-Dame Cathedral in central Paris, where the 96-meter tall spire and most of the roof collapsed. In October of the first year of Reiwa, a fire at Shuri Castle in Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture, resulted in the destruction of eight buildings, including the main hall.
In international political situations, although the second U.S.-North Korea summit was held in February of the first year of Reiwa in Hanoi, Vietnam, and the third summit took place in June at the Korean Peninsula's Demilitarized Zone in Panmunjom, both ended without agreement. In October of the first year of Reiwa, North Korea conducted its first SLBM test launch in three years. Amid the uncertainty of the U.S.-China trade war, it is concerning that in September of the first year of Reiwa, both governments activated the fourth round of retaliatory tariffs, and in November, the United States notified the UN of its withdrawal from the international framework for combating global warming, the Paris Agreement. Additionally, in December of the first year of Reiwa, the Conservative Party led by Prime Minister Johnson won a majority in the UK House of Commons election, paving the way for Brexit, which may become an unstable factor in future international relations.

Last year, sports continued to inspire us. In January of the first year of Reiwa, Naomi Osaka won the women's singles at the Australian Open and became the world number one. In June of the first year of Reiwa, Hakim Sani Brown set a new Japanese record of 9.97 seconds in the men's 100 meters final at the NCAA Championships. Rui Hachimura was the first Japanese player to be selected in the first round of the NBA draft and made a significant impact. In August of the first year of Reiwa, Hinako Shibuno won her first title at the Women's British Open in golf. In September of the first year of Reiwa, the Rugby World Cup was held in Japan for the first time in Asia, and the Japanese national team advanced to the quarter-finals with a perfect record in the group stage. In November of the first year of Reiwa, Samurai Japan won their first title by defeating South Korea in the Premier 12 international baseball tournament. Both men and women performed remarkably and achieved great results.

Next, we will look back on a year in Inagi City and announce the top 10 news stories.

1. Free Early Childhood Education and Care
   From October 2019, free services will be implemented for children aged 0 to 2 from households exempt from resident tax and for children aged 3 to 5.
2. 130th Anniversary of Inagi Village System Implementation
   Since the establishment of Inagi Village in June of Meiji 22 through the merger of six villages, it has developed from a town to a city without merging with other municipalities.
3. Hirao 4-chome is born
   With the completion of the Kamihirao Land Readjustment Project, an address organization was carried out, and a new town name was born.
4. Opening of Odaryo Tunnel and Sakahama Hirao Line
   The road connects Kurihira in Kawasaki City to Sakahama and from Shin-Yurigaoka to Wakabadai.
5. iBus Annual Ridership Exceeds 500,000
   Since the start of operations in 2002, the number of passengers has steadily increased, reaching approximately 526,000 during the one-year period from April 2018 to March 2019.
6. One Year Test Event for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Cycling (Road) Competition Held
   A test event was conducted with the same content as the actual event. Preparations are underway for the main event.
7. Full Application of the Local Public Enterprise Act at Inagi City Hospital
   To maintain stable management as a core hospital in the region while ensuring prompt and flexible responses, authority is delegated to the business operators.
8. Establishment of a Life Support Service Base Utilizing Vacant Municipal Housing
   The development of a base utilizing vacant space on the first floor of the Koyodai 6-chome housing complex is the first case in Tokyo.
9. Inagi Pair Park Opening and Creation of Tourism Resources through Design Manhole Cover Production
   In the establishment of the park in the Land Readjustment Project around Inagi-Naganuma Station, one of the five design manhole covers produced as a tourism resource will be installed near the park, along with the integrated development of the pair terrace.
10. Support Activities for Typhoons No. 15 and No. 19
    Due to the impact of Typhoon No. 15, there was a prolonged power outage in the southern part of Chiba Prefecture, and relief supplies were transported to Kisarazu City, while staff were dispatched to Kimitsu City. A water supply vehicle was sent to Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture, which experienced large-scale water outages due to the flooding caused by Typhoon No. 19.

As a special note, in the mayoral election of April 2019, I was re-elected and entrusted with my third term. Additionally, six new council members were elected in the city council election, slightly changing the composition of the council. Each of them will advance the Community Development of Inagi City as representatives of the citizens.
The top ten news stories of 2019 are as mentioned above. The kanji chosen for last year was "Rei." It is said that "Reiwa" carries the meaning of culture being born and nurtured as people beautifully come together. I hope that the year 2020, the beginning of a new era, will also be a year of new beginnings for all of you.