Foot Path in Nanporo Town 1 !

by Kazu

Seeking for revitalization of the region and increasing the visitors, NPO Furatto Nanporo hosts monthly foot path event in Nanporo Town. "Furatto" is the namesake of "roaming around" , "foot loose" and "Please, drop by Nanporo Town." in Japanese and "flat" in English.

About 40 people got together, some were repeaters but this time special guests from southern end of Japan, Okinawa took part in the event to introduce the system and arrangement of the foot path in nanporo Town.

Precisely speaking, eight members of Chambers and Commerce in Nishihara Town in Okinawa Prefecture joined the event and discussion after walking.

The temperature outside was 10 degrees in Celsius, so everybody wore appropriate attire except for a physical buff of an authority, who wore T-shirt and down vest.

We started the bus depot of Nanporo Town at 10:00 a.m. on October 21(Sun.). The guests from Okinawa said that it was so cold as year end of Okinawa.

Flowers on the pavement were so beautiful even in the low temperature.

It was so fine with shining sun at 11:00.
The NPO was established in 2000 for sustainable development of Nanporo Town. The members of the NPO recognized that it was very important for the residents to get to know about the town and the charms in the region .

Asked "What do you think is the charm of the town ? "by the members of the NPO, the advisor to the NPO said, "You can find them in the walk. Find the treasure in the tow." on the first occasion to walk around the town.

The NPO hosts the monthly walking event in Nanporo Town and dispatch the members to other cities and towns on demand to advise the people struggling to arrange such kinds of event in their own region.

The NPO took the trail in the woods on that day and the guests found the hive of hornet near the ground.
Foot path event was arranged as "Canal-side  Walking". "Nanporo Town is in the flat plain without mountains, hills and resources to attract tourists." thought the members of the NPO and the citizens.

On the other hand, the town has beautiful wide sky, beautiful rice and veggie fields, history, agricultural produces of high quality raised by the farmers struggling to deliver their organic produces to the kids who are annoyed by some kinds of allergy such as atopic dermatitis.

After 30 minute walk, we dropped by the farm that raised organic veggies. Mr.and Mrs.Tanaka run the farm and provided us with their crystallized efforts at low price. 

The person with down vest and cap is the key person, Vice president of the NPO, Mr.Chouichiro Kondo.

Every participant was attracted by the produce raised organically and bought many veggies.

The veggies we bought was carried to the goal point of the foot path by Mr. and Mrs. Tanaka.

Mrs. Tanaka kindly showed her hospitality and explained their policy to raise the veggies.

This tree of chestnut had been planted when Mrs.Tanaka got married with Mr.Tanaka and produces very nice marron even now.
Their garden was well trimmed and showed beautiful flowers in the barrel. Before snow fall, they wrap up the trees of the garden without being over a barrel.

This is one of the big four canals built up in Hokkaido, where the first foot path event in Nanporo Town was held.
The signs of the foot path was set by the NPO that had a tough time to built the consensus to play up its foot path events.

To be continued.