insights from frontier Japan

The year’s first auction of Yubari Melons was held at the Sapporo Central Wholesale Market on the morning of May 26, and a successful bid of 3 million yen for a box of two top-grade ‘Superior’ Yubari Melons was made by Hokuyu Pack, a Yubari Melon packing company in the city of Yubari. A total of 2,720 melons were auctioned, the largest number ever for the first auction of the year.

On May 26, the ‘Fairfield by Marriott Hokkaido Naganuma Maoi no Oka Koen’ hotel opened on the municipality-owned former park-golf course land at the Maoi-no-Oka Koen roadside rest area in the town of Naganuma in the Sorachi region of central Hokkaido. The hotel hopes to offer a new style of travel that incorporates roadside rest areas.

Early in the morning, the Ishikari Plain is shrouded in spring haze. From the Tsukigata Ohashi Bridge, which straddles the border between the city of Bibai and the town of Tsukigata in the Sorachi region, the view beyond the Ishikari River is that of the Pinneshiri and Kamuishiri mountains. A gaggle of roosting geese begins to move. After wintering in Honshu, tens of thousands of geese gather at Miyajima Swamp in Bibai before continuing their journey of several thousand kilometers. Gradually, they proceed northward in pursuit of watering holes.

The city of Takikawa in the Sorachi region of central Hokkaido is involved in an initiative to donate used school bags to children in the Ovorkhangai Province of Mongolia, with which the city has had interaction for over 10 years. This is the first time the city has planned a project to deepen friendships, as international exchanges have been difficult due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, requests are being made for people to donate used school bags.

Spring is the season of hope and anticipation after the long winter months in Hokkaido, particularly for cyclists. Even for those who continued riding in the snow and ice, spring is a time when heavy weights seem to have been lifted from your wheels and legs, and the thrill of speed returns.

Following the easing of COVID-19 border control measures, 12 Chinese trainees for Yubari melon growing are expected to enter Japan in April. Their presence is expected to contribute to stabilizing melon production.

The announcement and award ceremony for the 94th U.S. Academy Awards was held in Hollywood on March 27 (March 28 Japan time), and "Drive My Car" by director Hamaguchi Ryusuke (43) won the Oscar for Best International Feature Film. To film the climax scene, lead actor Nishijima Hidetoshi and cast visited the city of Akabira in the Central Hokkaido Sorachi region, and Akabira residents expressed joy at how proud the award made them feel for their city.

MAOI, a winery located in the town of Naganuma in the Sorachi region of central Hokkaido, has completed a new facility, the Maoi Distillery, in a vineyard in the town. The facility, which also includes a wine store, held a pre-opening event on March 19 and will officially open on May 1. Both the distillery and wine store will only open on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.

Cosmetics production and sales company SHIRO announced an overview of a new factory slated to start construction in the city of Sunagawa this year. The official name is "Minnano-Kojo" (Everyone's Factory). The factory will feature an add-on facility where visitors from both within and outside of the city can freely enjoy themselves, including areas like a lounge and play space for children. SHIRO aims for this to be, "A place where anyone can come and have an amazing experience."