No.149 Memorial to the late Ryoichi Ishikawa

On June 16th at 8:40 a.m., Ryoichi Ishikawa, former mayor of Inagi City and current member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly, passed away.
　
I had heard that he had been in ill health for several years, but I also heard that he had completed his treatment last year. When I met him at a meeting over the New Year period, his voice had regained its strength and his complexion was improving. He also appeared in good spirits when he attended the Inagi City Fire Department's New Year's Parade on January 14th, so I assumed that his health had improved.
　
His condition worsened in May and he was admitted to the city hospital, but when I went to visit him he seemed to be in much better condition than expected, and I was even able to hear about his condition directly from him, so I believed he would recover.
　
However, we were shocked and deeply saddened to receive the news of his passing less than three weeks later.
　
In 1983, at the young age of 30, Mr. Ishikawa ran for the Inagi City Council election, won first place and served two terms. In 1991, he switched to running for Inagi City mayor, and was elected as the youngest mayor in the country at the time. From then until 2011, he poured his passion and wisdom into the development of Inagi for five terms, 20 years in total.
　
When Mr. Ishikawa became mayor in 1991, it was the year the bubble economy began to collapse, and the steady economic growth came to an end. Even in the midst of a tough economic situation, Mr. Ishikawa continued to promote urban infrastructure development with a long-term perspective.
　
In order to improve the lives and welfare of citizens, he led discussions with his natural leadership, worked to ensure proper administrative and financial management, and carried out plan revisions with strong determination.
　
It is impossible to fully describe Mr. Ishikawa's achievements in the space of this article, but looking back at his major accomplishments, he has promoted the development of numerous public facilities, such as the opening of Nagamine and Wakabadai in Tama New Town, the opening of Shiroyama Elementary School, Nagamine Elementary School, Wakabadai Elementary School, Hirao Elementary School and the Sixth Junior High School, the opening of the School Lunch Joint Kitchen No. 2, Shiroyama Cultural Center, Central Park, General Gymnasium and General Sports Grounds.
　
Furthermore, as the Tama New Town project progressed and urbanization in the surrounding area progressed rapidly, the opening of the Inagi Ohashi Bridge and Inagi Interchange and the start of the Nambu Line continuous grade separation project also progressed steadily.
　
Mr. Ishikawa's various business promotions and reforms sometimes created friction with the city council and city officials, but I believe that some of the friction arose precisely because he was sensitive to changes in the times and tried to respond quickly and flexibly.
　
The accumulation of various reforms that were ahead of other cities has led to the growth of Inagi today. We are deeply grateful for the leadership that has built the foundation for the development of Inagi, which will continue to grow in the future.
　
At the funeral on June 24th, I delivered a eulogy on behalf of Inagi City to Mr. Ryoichi Ishikawa, who was a recipient of distinguished service to the local government.
　
We who remain believe that the best way to repay Mr. Ishikawa is to bring this town, which is still in development, closer to completion and promise to hand it over to the next generation.
　
I sincerely pray for the repose of his soul.