Mr. Shigeru Mizuki, a manga artist born in
Tottori Prefecture, has been named as a Person of Cultural Merit. He has been a leading figure in the development of culture, art and regions through his manga comics depicting Yokai (specter) characters and wars. I congratulate him on his nomination from the bottom of my heart.
On October 30, we are scheduled to invite several manga artists and set up the preparatory committee for the International Manga Summit in Tottori.
In this conference, we are planning to propose that the relevant information should be sent out to the national public through promotion posters, and that a cheering squad be organized for the summit. I will be glad if these initiatives related to manga comics help enrich and vitalize regions and this country.
Gainare Tottori (a professional soccer team based in
Tottori Prefecture) has won the Japan Football League Championship. I would like to send my congratulations to the players and their supporters. I will go to
Tokyo together with
Tottori City mayor and the president of SC TOTTORI Co., Ltd. (Gainare Tottori) tomorrow, when the J-League chairman’s hearing will be held. I hope the chairman’s side will acknowledge that Gainare Tottori is qualified to be promoted to the J-League and that the regional side is ready and prepared to support the soccer team, which I expect will be a huge boost for Gainare’s promotion to the J2 League.
During this visit to
Tokyo, I will also make requests, along with other prefectural governors, as a member of the “Assembled Governors for the Return of Victims of Abduction by
North Korea” to the State Minister in Charge of
North Korea Abductions of Japanese Nationals for speedy resolution of the abduction issue.
This weekend, we are planning to invite young prefectural governors and hold a forum aimed at discussing the future of decentralization. We are going to call for the (need of) promoting regional sovereignty and decentralization to the national public; these issues seem to be in deadlock from the perspective of regional side.
I’m scheduled to go to
Tokyo on November 1 and submit to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications the permit application for establishment of the Greater Kansai Association, probably with other governors. If possible, I will seize this opportunity and exchange ideas with governors of Hyogo and
Kyoto Prefectures about how to utilize the San’in Geopark in the future.
As part of our promotion strategy in collaboration with the Kansai Region, we decided to promote
Tottori Prefecture jointly with Yoshimoto Kogyo Co., Ltd. As its premier event, it’s been decided that Yoshimoto Kogyo’s company entertainers will visit
Tottori Prefecture for the purpose of promoting Tottori by using blogs or monthly magazines. We will seize this opportunity and publicize Tottori’s attractions such as
hot springs and crabs to areas and regions outside Tottori.
In the area of environmental issues, commemorative events and related projects are planned in order to mark the 5th year since registry of
Lake Nakaumi in the list of the Ramsar Convention.
The new method of growing lawns called the “Tottori Method” has been registered as a trademark, and the movement of creating lawns is spreading nationwide. As
Tottori Prefecture has been promoting the Tottori Method in addition to other traditional ways of creating lawns and sending relevant information nationwide, we have decided to hold a symposium for the movement of lawn creation. We have also decided to establish a network for the creation of lawns by means of the Tottori Method on a national level with the support of the national public.
In order to celebrate the entry of the San’in Coast Geopark into the Global Geopark Network, the 110-kilometer Walk in San’in Coast Geopark will kick off. I hope that lots of people will join this event and enjoy autumn.
We will revise the support plan for victims of domestic violence in our prefecture at an early date. We will include new measures such as more emphasized educational activities for the youth or enhanced support for children in the plan. We are also planning to conduct a (forum for) public comment.
In terms of creating a new form of decentralization, it will be a huge advantage for the regional side to have obtained the tool of “the greater association.” The said association could be capable of taking over clerical tasks from the national government. For example, it would be possible for the greater association to manage national parks including the San’in Coast Geopork, which are now managed by the Ministry of the Environment.
I hope that the collaboration with Yoshimoto Kogyo, which is a centerpiece of the Kansai Region, will shorten the emotional distance between the Kansai Region and
Tottori Prefecture. We will also work on developing brand-based tactics for foodstuffs and the like aimed at the Kansai Region.