Director General tile version December 2014 (Message from Director General)

Protection associations working on attractive community development through the management and operation of parks, roads, rivers, etc., which are indispensable to our lives. There are groups, 3 waterside protection associations, and 16 Hama Road Supporters.
Parks, roads, and rivers in the city are kept comfortable and clean thanks to the active activities of each group. These activities have led to the community development, where people can continue to live safely and with peace of mind, such as improving the effectiveness of suppressing crime and promoting community building.
On November 12, Kanagawa Public Works Office held a "Kanagawa Protection Association Exchange Meeting" at the Kandaiji District Center to promote mutual exchange and exchange information on activities among protection groups.

[Seminar on making flower beds by Sakata Seed Okawa, Ltd.]

[Activity report by Mr. Hayashi of Kanagawa Flower Making Subcommittee]

In the first part, Mikio Okawa of Sakata Seed Co., Ltd., gave a lecture on "Hints and Points for Creating Flowerbeds" on flower seedlings, which is the basis of the protection society activities. Participants commented, "The slides on the water flowerbed was good" and "Introduction of various cases was helpful."
In addition, Mr. Hiromi Hayashi of the Toyoko Flower Green Road Second Protection Association reported on the activities of the "Kanagawa Flower Making Subcommittee". This initiative started raising pansies and violas on the premises of Public Works Office, in order to secure as many flower seedlings as possible within a limited budget. Volunteers go to Public Works Office every day, take turns water and record observations, and grow them with great care. The flower seedlings are planted as colors of the park.
In addition to panel displays related to protection society activities, Katakura Usagiyama Park Protection Association, Sanno Forest Park Protection Association, Matsumi-cho Sanchome Park Protection Association and Port Side Park Protection Association, which won the Yokohama City Park Protection Association Award in 2014.

[Practical training at the “Hachi Flower Making Workshop”]

[All participants challenged to make various potted flowers]

In the second part, Public Works Office staff explained tips on how to show and plant potted flowers, and participants learned how to plant flowers such as tulips and violas in pots prepared by participants. Kanagawa Ward flowers are tulips. In the spring, you can see the tulips blooming beautifully in parks and street corners. If you look at the sight of elementary school students sketching the scenery and the lively pictures drawn by the children, I am glad that you can feel here as well. This tulip is a one in which the members of the protection society planted bulbs in flower beds one by one in the fall of the previous year.

[Commemorative photo by all participants]

[Tulips in Oguchi Park (Regional Exchange Festival)]

One of the activities of the protection society include the creation of flower beds and planting flower seedlings through the joint work of local children, such as nursery schools and elementary school students, and the protection society. These activities play a role in the creation of local connections from local children to children's parents and their parents' generations gather in one place, and play a role in creating local connections. The flower language of the tulip flower varies depending on the color, but basically the theme is "love". By the way, the flower language of the red tulip is "confession of love", purple is "eternal love", and pink is "honest love". Indeed, I think that the activities of the protection society in familiar public places have fostered attachment to the community, like the language language of tulips.
At this year's exchange meeting, we received comments such as "It was my first time to participate, but I was impressed by the fact that various people were active," "It was a very dense exchange meeting," and "Public Works Office's impression has changed." I think that holding the exchange meeting was a catalyst for information exchange between groups and helped to enhance the activities.
Once again, I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the daily activities of the Kanagawa Protection Association.

December, 2014
Tomomi Ninomiya, Chief of Kanagawa