No. 16 Looking back at the beginning of the year: A snowy Coming of Age Ceremony and more

(Published in the February 15, 2013 issue of Public Relations Inagi)

　We're already in mid-February this year, but looking back on January, the biggest topic of conversation is the heavy snow that fell on January 14th, the first time in seven years that Tokyo experienced heavy snowfall.
The day before the fire department's opening ceremony, January 13th, was an unusually warm day. I was wearing thermal underwear to protect myself from the cold and was sweating, but the next day the weather changed completely.
The forecast called for snow early in the morning, but when I woke up around 6am, I was feeling happy, but just after 9am, the temperature suddenly dropped and light rain turned into heavy, wet snow. I was later told that it was caused by a bomb cyclone, but the weather was truly a wonder of nature.
On that day, the Sai-no-kami in the Yanoguchi area was lit as planned, but it was postponed in the Sakahama area, and there was apparently chaos in other areas as well.
And then the problem started. Snow has piled up on the main roads, forcing people to drive slowly, and the roads are congested due to vehicles abandoned on the roadside. I was worried whether the Coming of Age Ceremony would be able to be held as planned.
The bus slipped on the uphill slope to Komazawa Gakuen, the venue, and the race was so crowded that it continued all the way to Tsurukawa Kaido, so the start of the race had to be postponed. We apologize for the inconvenience caused to all the new adults who participated, and we are also very disappointed that the second part of the event, a "place to talk" with teachers and old friends, has been cancelled.
However, for the 802 new adults who had the valuable experience of celebrating their coming-of-age ceremony during such a heavy snowfall in Tokyo, it must have been a lifetime memory.
We would like to thank many local businesses for providing raffle prizes this year as well. We would like to once again express our gratitude to the members of the coming-of-age ceremony executive committee who worked diligently to prepare for this event, including soliciting sponsorship. In addition, the Coming of Age Ceremony in Inagi City is held peacefully and without any disturbances every year, and we would like to express our gratitude to the local power of Inagi City for nurturing such wonderful young people.
By the way, as of the end of January, as I am writing this manuscript, we have just finished compiling the initial budget for FY2013. We considered disaster prevention measures, economic measures, environmental measures, power saving measures, tourism business, etc.
In December of last year, the assembly enacted the "Ordinance on the Recruitment of Fixed-Term Employees." We are currently in the process of hiring a private sector employee with knowledge and experience in the tourism business as a city employee for a limited time. From the new fiscal year, this tourism manager will play a central role in promoting Inagi's tourism business.
This year too, I would like to work together with everyone to create a vibrant and vibrant Inagi. Nice to meet you.