The Arrival of a Spring Filled with Flowers and Greenery! Now under way – Garden Necklace Yokohama 2018 Satoyama Garden (next to Yokohama Zoological Gardens “Zoorasia,” 1425-4 Shirane-cho, Asahi Ward): until May 6 (Sun.) Minato Area (Yamashita Park, Harbor View Park, Nihon Odori Street, Yokohama Park, Shinko Central Plaza): until June 3 (Sun.) Various other locations in Yokohama A photo from last year’s Garden Necklace Yokohama (taken by drone over Satoyama Garden) ©ITOON/GN ガーデンネックレス横浜2018　　Search 【Contact for inquiries about this article】 NTT Hello Dial　　Tel: 050-5548-8686 (8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m., until June 4)　　 Greenery Promotion Division, Environmental Planning Bureau　　Fax: 045-224-6627 Making Yokohama a city full of flowers and greenery Fumiko Hayashi Mayor of Yokohama Bathed in the soft sunlight, the leaves on trees are getting greener by the day. The streets of our city are being graced in turn by cherry blossoms, tulips, dogwood, and other flowers of spring. It is the season for taking pleasure in strolls around town while admiring their beauty. Thanks to the efforts of all concerned, last year’s National Urban Greenery Fair Yokohama attracted a remarkable approximately 6 million visitors from inside and outside our city. I have vivid memories of the smiles on the faces of people whom I met there. Flowers and greenery have the power to soothe, nurture, and enrich our souls. Drawing on the results of the Fair, we are going to promote the Garden City Yokohama project aimed at making Yokohama an inviting city accented by blossoms and verdure. With the support of many parties, we are holding Garden Necklace Yokohama 2018, which links our streets, people, and eras with a chain of flowers and greenery, again this year. Yokohama is waiting to greet you with its lovely harbor views, historical buildings dating from the opening of its port, and springtime blossoms decorating the pastoral scenery of its nature-rich “satoyama” tracts. We hope to see you here! For mutual aid and support — community/neighborhood associations Disaster prevention The associations are putting efforts into preparations for emergency situations, such as the stockpiling of emergency supplies and implementation of disaster-prevention drills. 　Once every year, 17 community and neighborhood associations come together to hold a disaster-prevention drill to heighten awareness of the need for self-help efforts and mutual aid, and to spread knowledge of the disaster-prevention capabilities of the city authorities. In this drill, we also check to see which people would be in particular need of assistance in emergencies. The exercise at the regional disaster prevention center incorporated a drill in evacuation with pets, and that in collective housing included practice in use of stairway evacuation chairs. As this indicates, we are preparing for emergencies by adjusting the drill to match the actual conditions in the area. Isao Mikami Crime prevention The associations make crime-prevention patrols and protect the safety of children on roads to and from school in the neighborhood. Through these and other activities, they strive to keep the area safe and secure. Residents take turns making crime-prevention patrols almost every day. We display signs and banners with the cooperation of people living in the neighborhood. I patrol the area by driving a “blue patrol vehicle” (a car with a blue beacon light on top) in an eye-catching outfit. These patrols have led to a steep decrease in the number of burglaries, which were quite numerous before. We are going to continue with the activities to keep the area safe. Kimiko Mikami Watching over the elderly We are constantly mindful of elderly who live alone, and check on them by making visits and holding luncheons for them. It has been eight years since we began drills to visit the homes of elderly living alone and confirm their safety. These visits are made by a group of three, consisting of two junior high school students and one commissioned welfare volunteer. Beginning three years ago, we started an activity for guiding elderly to the nearest regional disaster prevention center. Some of the elderly have told us how happy they are to be watched over by the young people. Similarly, we heard some heartening comments from some of the junior high schoolers who took part in the drill; they said their outlook had changed and they wanted to take part again. We are going to continue engaging all in the neighborhood in watching over the elderly so they can live with peace of mind. Yoko Endo Photography cooperation: Yokodai Community Association, Isogo Ward Join your community/neighborhood association! Through the association activities, I also learned about the setups for streetlights, discarding garbage, and other things that are part of daily life, and deepened my ties with others in the neighborhood. I enjoy the contact with the neighbors, and am going to stay involved in the activities. The existence of the association is reassuring for many reasons, such as the activities to keep children safe on their walks between home and school. When I have a problem, I get all kinds of advice from members of the association. Although I have to work on weekdays, I take part in activities on my days off as far as possible. I have more friends in the neighborhood, and more people say hello to me around town. I can feel how the association activities are helping to preserve everyday safety. Many people said they had fun experiencing the behind-the-scenes work for sports days and festivals. Interaction with others through events is one of the appeals of the association activities. 　There are about 2,900 community and neighborhood associations in Yokohama. They are engaged in wide-ranging activities so that neighborhood residents can spend each day in safety and with peace of mind. Why not take part in the association in your neighborhood, beginning with an activity in which you can easily participate? Festivals and interchange between generations Associations hold events such as festivals and sports days that are fun for the whole family and help to build interpersonal ties. 　Featuring a popular samurai procession and parade, the Kozukue Castle Site Festival has long been supported by people in the area. To preserve and carry on this tradition, we want young people to join in and provide some fresh new ideas. Festivals are held by many neighborhood and community associations. I encourage people to get involved in the association in their area by casually offering to help out with the festival. Your circle of acquaintances in the neighborhood will widen. Yuko Bogo Neighborhood beautification Associations engage in local clean-up campaigns and manage places for collection of waste in their efforts to keep the neighborhood a clean and pleasant place to live. 　In addition to our activities to safeguard grade schoolers as they walk between home and school and our neighborhood patrols to watch over the elderly, we perform a clean-up activity five times a month. This activity also promotes the health of the participants. All join in lightheartedly, some walking their dog or taking a child along. Our patrols may have caused the decrease in litter such as cigarette butts and empty cans. To learn about the neighborhood while walking around is also of value for evacuation in emergencies. Yoshikazu Maki Childcare 　Associations also hold circles on child-rearing and health to help parents raise children and build their health through a community-wide effort. We hold a children’s circle, infant circle, and the Shirosato Area After-School Plaza, a circle for disabled children attending elementary and junior high school. Some participants say they would like us to hold many more. In holding these circles, we gain the cooperation of people in the area, some of whom help us out at times. We ask not only parents whose child-rearing chores have been reduced but also those in the middle of raising children and even people with jobs outside the home to take a hand in our activities just to see if there is anything they can do. Chikako Nakayama Photography cooperation: Shirosato Neighborhood Association, Kohoku Ward Join your community or neighborhood association and deepen ties with your neighbors! Some people want to join a community or neighborhood association, but don’t know to which association their house belongs or whom to consult. If you are in this situation, please contact the Community Promotion Division of the ward in which you live. They will relay your desire to join the association. To people starting to live in Yokohama The city government will present information on membership in a community or neighborhood association to people who have completed procedures for taking up residence in Yokohama, together with the “Kurashi no Guide” and other administrative information. Please consult the Community Promotion Division in your ward office about joining an association. Community Promotion Division telephone number in each ward Aoba Ward 045-978-2291 Seya Ward 045-367-5691 Asahi Ward 045-954-6091 Totsuka Ward 045-866-8411 Izumi Ward 045-800-2391 Naka Ward 045-224-8131 Isogo Ward 045-750-2391 Nishi Ward 045-320-8389 Kanagawa Ward 045-411-7086 Tsuzuki Ward 045-948-2231 Kanazawa Ward 045-788-7801 Tsurumi Ward 045-510-1687 Konan Ward 045-847-8391 Hodogaya Ward 045-334-6302 Kohoku Ward 045-540-2234 Midori Ward 045-930-2232 Sakae Ward 045-894-8391 Minami Ward 045-341-1235 【Contact for inquiries about this article】Community Activities Promotion Division, Civic Affairs Bureau　　Tel: 045-671-2317　　Fax: 045-664-0734 Persons who subscribe to the City of Yokohama national health insurance program may receive specified health checkups for free, without having to assume any burden of the expense by themselves! Let’s receive specified health checkups. Period: April 1 (Sun.), 2018 – March 31 (Sun.), 2019 Eligible persons: Persons aged 40 – 74 who subscribe to the City of Yokohama national health insurance program Items to present: Health insurance card, checkup card*, and medical questionnaire* *The checkup card and medical questionnaire will be sent from the ward office of the ward in which you live in late May. If you wish to have the checkup before they are sent, ask for the card and the questionnaire at the Health Insurance and Pension Division of your ward office. See this link for a list of institutions implementing specified health checkups. 横浜市　特定健康診査　　Search 【Contact for inquiries about this article】 Yokohama Health Checkup Private Dial　　Tel: 045-664-2606　Fax: 045-664-2828 Health Insurance and Pension Division, Health and Social Welfare Bureau Tel: 045-671-4067　 Fax: 045-664-0403 Yokohama Marathon 2018 Start of acceptance of applications for Yokohama resident entry and general entry Acceptance of applications for entry in Yokohama Marathon 2018 is about to begin! Residents of Yokohama have two chances for entry, one under the resident entry and the other under the general entry. Why not run through the streets of Yokohama this autumn? Application period: April 18 (Wed.) – May 16 (Wed.) ※Entrants will be chosen by lot if the number of applications exceeds the entry limit (excluding charity entry). 【Date】October 28 (Sun.) 【Events etc.】 Event Number of entrants Entry fee Full marathon 6,510 15,000 yen Allocated to the residents of the City of Yokohama 410 15,000 yen 1/7th of the full marathon 440 4,000 yen 1/7th of the full marathon (wheelchair) 30 4,000 yen 2 km (wheelchair) 20 3,000 yen *There will be a total of 28,000 runners, consisting of the 7,000 in the above entry categories and the runners with advance priority entry. 【Application】See the application information on the official website or the application document (available at the Yokohama City Government Citizen Information Center and other locations). 【Contact for inquiries about entry】 Lawson Tickets　　Tel: 0570-000-732 (every day from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.) You are the ones who will support Yokohama Marathon 2018! Call for volunteers for holding the Marathon 　The Yokohama Marathon will need volunteers to assist runner registration, supply water, provide guidance for runners along the course, and help to enliven the event. The organizers will begin calling for volunteers on May 22 (Tues.). For details, see the Marathon’s official website. 横浜マラソン　　Search 【Contact for inquiries about this article】 The Organizing Committee Tel: 045-651-0666　　Fax: 045-226-5037