No.50 Top 10 News of Inagi City for Fiscal Year 2015

(Inagi Newsletter January 15, 2016 issue)

In the sports field last year, there was confusion with the withdrawal of the new National Stadium plan for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the tournament emblem, but there were also joyful news such as the women's soccer World Cup in Canada where we finished as runners-up in June and July, and the Rugby World Cup in England where we achieved a historic feat by defeating the strong contender South Africa with three wins in one tournament from September to October. In the gymnastics World Championships from October to November, the men's team won for the first time in 37 years, and Uchimura achieved his sixth consecutive all-around victory.
In the field of industrial science, the Hokuriku Shinkansen line between Nagano and Kanazawa opened in March, and in December, reports indicated that the Indian government decided to adopt Japan's Shinkansen method for its planned high-speed rail. In November, Japan's first domestically produced jet passenger aircraft, the MRJ, successfully made its first flight, and the H2A rocket achieved Japan's first purely commercial launch in the same month. In December, the Venus probe "Akatsuki" successfully entered orbit, marking the beginning of Japan's technology receiving international recognition.
In October, the Nobel Prize was announced, with Dr. Shinya Yamanaka (Special Honorary Professor at Kitasato University) selected for the Physiology or Medicine Prize and Dr. Takaaki Kajita (Director of the Institute for Cosmic Ray Research at the University of Tokyo) selected for the Physics Prize, continuing the good news from last year.
On the other hand, in the field of natural disasters, there was an eruption at Shin-dake on Kuchinoerabujima in May, followed by increased volcanic activity at Hakone, Sakurajima, and Aso. In September, heavy rains in Kanto and Tohoku due to Typhoons 17 and 18 caused the Kinu River levee to break in Joso City, Ibaraki Prefecture, resulting in large-scale flooding, and Inagi City also dispatched an emergency fire assistance team.
Thus, there were various events both domestically and internationally, but let's also look back at a year in Inagi City.

1. Progress in Community Development in the Minamiyama area. In April, Minamiyama Elementary School and Shiroyama Nursery School Minamiyama were established, in September, applications for cemetery users at Inagi-Fuchu Memorial Park were opened, and in October, Minamiyama Hall was put into service.
2. Conclusion of Friendship City Agreement. Agreements were concluded with Soma City in Fukushima Prefecture on August 18 and with Nozawa Onsen Village in Nagano Prefecture on November 17.
3. Established the Education Guidelines. At the Inagi City Comprehensive Education Council, which was established in April as part of the education system reform, we decided on the "Inagi Education Guidelines for Nurturing People and Culture through Interaction."
4. Strengthening the functions of the Child and Family Support Center. In April, we opened the Hongō branch on the 3rd floor of the Hongō Yūshi Nursery School.
5. Wide-area collaboration for vaccinations. Starting in April, a mutual implementation agreement for regular vaccinations for children has been established among five cities in the Minami-Tama medical area (Hachioji, Machida, Hino, Tama City, and Inagi), allowing vaccinations to be conducted at any medical institution within the area.
6. Response to the start of the My Number system. With the start of use from January this year, we have strengthened personal information protection measures and implemented security enhancements, such as isolating the My Number usage system from the internet system within City Hall's network.
7. Sales of Inagi Nashinosuke Dream Gift Certificates and Inagi Housing Renovation Coupons. Utilizing the funds from the Supplementary Budget of the national and metropolitan government for fiscal year 2014, emergency economic measures to stimulate local consumption have been implemented.
8. Developed the Inagi Biodiversity Strategy. A regional strategy has been formulated to promote the conservation and restoration of Inagi City's rich natural environment, with collaboration among citizens, business operators, schools, and the city administration.
9. Completion of the Inagi Oshitate No. 1 Land Readjustment Project. The land readjustment project implemented by the association, which started in fiscal year 2013, has been completed as the 10th area in the city.
10. New Chairperson and Vice Chairperson Appointed. In the unified local elections in April, city council members were re-elected, and Shigeru Harajima was appointed as Chairperson, while Morihisa Okubo was appointed as Vice Chairperson.

These are the top 10 news stories from Inagi City. As a side note, I was re-elected in the April election and entrusted with a second term as the Mayor of Inagi City. I will return to my original intentions and work together with the citizens to advance Community Development in Inagi City. I look forward to your continued support this year.