Sunflower exchange

Konan Ward, a symbol of sunflowers, and elementary school studenｔ,Konan Wardelementary school studenｔ, Miyagi Prefecture, visited each other every year to visit each other.
This year, the program was held on a three-day, two-night trip from July 31 to August 2 to deepen exchanges. .
I plan to visit Osaki City next year.

Konan Ward Office Regional Promotion Division Youth Development Officer
TEL： 045-847-8396 FAX： 045-842-8193

Konan Ward, a symbol of sunflowers, and elementary school studenｔ in Osaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, visit each other every year.
It was held for the first time in four years (the first time Konan Ward elementary school studenｔ visited Osaki City in five years).
This year, we were able to deepen exchanges by conducting a two-night, three-day trip from August 2 to 4.
The program will be held in Konan Ward next year.

For the purpose of "fostering hometown consciousness" of children and other local people, revitalize the local community, and foster healthy youth, the Sanbongi, Osaki-shi Himawari Exchange Association and the Konan Ward Himawari Exchange Association in Miyagi Prefecture have mutual exchange "Himawari Exchange".
Sunflower exchange celebrated the 35th anniversary of exchange in 2023.

Osaki City was born by the merger of one city and six towns (including Sanbongi Town) located in the northwestern part of Miyagi Prefecture. .
In the city, a fruitful plain called "Kosaki Osaki" spreads, and rice production is thriving. In December 2017, agriculture in the Osaki area was certified as a "World Agricultural Heritage".

Osaki City Location Map

In the latter half of the 1950s, Osaki City (formerly Sanbongi-cho) started sunflower cultivation by crop rotation, and full-scale cultivation on the sunflower hill began in 1987. (Even today, 420,000 sunflowers bloom every year.)
Yokohama citizens who visited this sunflower hill told the former Sanbongi-cho staff that Konan Ward flowers were sunflowers, and exchanges through sunflowers began.

In February 1989, a friendship meeting was held in Konan Ward, Konan Ward visited the Spring Festival held in Sanbongicho in April 1989, and Osaki City participated in the Yokohama Exposition (Konan Kumin Day) with 200 pots of mini sunflowers.

In August of the same year, elementary school studenｔ Konan Ward experienced a homestay in Sanbongi, and in March of the following year, elementary school studenｔ Sanbongi Elementary School experienced a homestay in Konan Ward.
Exchanges where children visited each other continued until 1998, but since it became difficult to select recipients, from 1999 to 17, adults of various local activity groups visited each other. I was

Later, in 2006, the former Sanbongi-cho merged with the neighboring municipalities and became a part of "Osaki-shi", and exchanges for elementary school students revived. It is still continuing as a "sunflower life experience exchange".

Sunflower is a flower of the ward and a symbol of Sanbongi, Osaki City, Miyagi Prefecture.
In order to have this mutual symbol sunflower attachment, the sunflower seeds given every year from Osaki City are given to each other.
We distribute to inhabitants of a ward and nursery school, elementary school. (April to May every year)

Konan Ward and elementary school studenｔ in Osaki City visit each other to experience each other's local attractions and deepen exchanges through a two-night, three-day stay experience.

Every year, we cooperate and support the product exhibition of the Sanbongi, Osaki-shi Himawari Exchange Association and the sightseeing PR of Osaki City, which opens at the “Konan Children's Dream World” held in November. .