だて市政だより1月号（英訳版） Public Relations Magazine DATE English Digest - January 2024
A Place That Welcomes People From All Walks of Life
Where You Can Live True to Yourself
P4 多様な生き方を尊重
自分らしく暮らせるまちへ
Contact Collaborative Community Development Department, Collaboration Promotion Section ☎ 024-575-1177
A society where you can let your true colors shine
Date City respects diverse ways of life, strives to raise awareness about sexual minorities, and promotes the creation of a city where each citizen's human rights and diversity are respected and everyone can live their lives true to themselves without worry.
Implemented on Thursday, January 4th!
“Partnership/Familyship Oath System”
The Partnership and Familyship Oath System is a system under which two people, one or both of whom are sexual minorities, can make an oath of partnership, promising to cooperate with each other in their daily lives as life partners regardless of gender or any other factors. If the couple has children or parents, they can also make an oath of familyship.
This program is implemented independently by Date City and does not entail the creation of legal rights or the granting of obligations, but the pledging of an oath entitles the applicant to various administrative services.
Eligibility
Some of the requirements are as follows.
・Two persons, one or both of whom are sexual minorities, living or committed to continuously living together on an equal basis with responsibility to each other.
・Both must have reached the age of majority (18 years old).
・Both parties must have an address in the city or plan to move into the city within two weeks.
Administrative Services Available for Use
Livelihood
・Application for municipal housing
・Application for the Date Newlywed Support Project subsidy
・Change of family relationship (the relationship shown on the residence certificate and other similar items can be changed to "cohabitant" or "relative by blood")
・Issuance of various certificates
・Issuance of disaster victim certificates
・Issuance of tax-related certificates
・Application for tax exemptions and reductions, and filing of resident tax returns
Welfare
・Application for welfare services for those with disabilities
・Application for disaster relief payments
・Application for nursing care insurance
・Application for a rental emergency call device
・Application for the meal delivery service for the elderly
・Application for the elderly assistance QR code system
・Application for the home-visit barber and beauty service subsidy project
・Application for the Considerate Parking Lot Usage System
Childbirth/Child-rearing
・Issuance of Mother and Child Health booklet
・Application for "Date City Childbirth and Child-rearing Support Services”
・Application for nursery schools, certified childcare centers, after-school children's clubs, etc.
・Application for school transportation and scholarship loans
・Application for subsidies for high school students, etc.
More services will be added as needed
Date Cycling in a Welcoming Training Environment
P6 暖かいメンテスペースでだてなサイクリング
Contact Tsukidate General Affairs Branch, Community Affairs Section ☎ 024-572-2111
Head on over to Ote Village “Kitemi~na,” where you can use an indoor bicycle machine to practice riding a bike. Our staff can provide some tips on how to ride a bike with gears. Start practicing now so you can debut your new cycling skills in the spring.
Date & Time Sunday, January 28th from 9:00 AM ~ 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM ~ 3:00 PM
Location Ote Village “Kitemi~na”
Participant Limit None
Price Free
Registration Please call the Tsukidate General Affairs Branch (Person in charge: Koga)
Hobara Museum of History and Culture Special Exhibition
Date City Excavation Survey Preliminary Exhibition: Nagakura Estate Ruins
P6 保原歴史文化資料館 企画展
「伊達市発掘調査速報展～長倉館跡～」
Contact Date City Hobara History and Culture Museum ☎ 024-575-1615
The Nagakura Estate Ruins is the residence of the Nagakura clan, who were the lords of Nagakura Village during the Muromachi ~ Sengoku periods. This exhibition introduces the Nagakura Estate site through paintings and other materials from the Edo period, which were excavated during the renovation of Date Elementary School.
Date & Time Saturday, January 20th ~ Sunday, March 31st from 9:00 AM ~ 5:00 PM (doors close at 4:30 PM) *Closed on Tuesdays
Location Date City Hobara History and Culture Museum
Price General admission: 210 yen
Elementary ~ high school students: 100 yen
Organized by the Date City Board of Education
Individual Novel Coronavirus vaccinations (at medical institutions)
P6 新型コロナワクチン個別接種（医療機関での接種）
Contact Novel Coronavirus Countermeasures Department, Vaccine Inoculation Section ☎ 024-572-6456
Individual coronavirus vaccinations (at medical institutions within the city) will begin on Monday, January 15th. The vaccination reservation form and further details can be found on the city website.
*2 One dose of Omicron 1-valent vaccines (XBB.1.5) will be provided starting on September 20th, 2023.
Vaccines planned for use
How to make a reservation
In order to receive a vaccination you must receive a vaccination voucher and make a vaccination reservation.
Online reservations (via smart phone, tablet, etc.)
Scan the QR code or access the reservation page through the city homepage (available 24 hours).
Phone reservations
Date City Coronavirus Vaccination Reservation/Call Center
☎ 0120-743-567
Available on weekdays from 9:00 AM ~ 5:00 PM
Secret Tips to Living a Longer Life
Courtesy of Hajime Kitaori, Former Director of Tameshite Gatten
P8 健康寿命を延ばす裏技とは？
Hajime Kitaori
Profile Hajime Kitaori was born in 1964 in Aichi prefecture. He worked as a full-time director of NHK’s Science and Environment Programming Department, and was in charge of “Tameshite Gatten” as well as an advisor of health-related programs.
Receive Both Tips for Good Health and a Laugh
“Want to know how to do it the easy way?” When Mr. Kitaori asked the question, the audience broke into applause. Mr. Kitaori then smirked and said, "there isn’t one.” The venue came alive as the audience erupted in laughter, realizing they’d been had. Some members of the audience were shocked, while some nodded along as Mr. Kitaori talked about kidneys or how periodontal disease is not just a dental disease, but a systemic disease. It was a 90-minute session that captured the audience's hearts and made them think deeper about their own bodies.
Toward a Healthier Community
The second basic concept and plan for Date City was formulated and started in March of this year. The plan outlines the future vision of Date City and the plans to realize it. We will continue to focus on promoting the health of each and every one of our citizens.
The results of city health checkups show that many people have issues related to blood pressure, blood glucose, and lipids, or have metabolic syndrome. We should all aim to foster good habits that promote healthier and happier lives.
Mr. Kitaori’s Seal of Approval!
Date City’s Initiatives
Lectures
Staff members visit local organizations, business establishments, salons, etc. to give health-related talks, blood pressure measurements, exercise, etc.
Health Promotion Meetings
Participants gather twice a week at a nearby meeting place and engage in a variety of physical activities while having fun and interacting with each other.
Date Health Point Program
You can accumulate points through daily health promotion goals. Points are awarded for cooperation within the prefecture and for special offers from the prefecture and the city.
A Must-read for Those Who Were Unable to Attend!
Things to Be Mindful of in the New Year!
Due to the "homeostasis" that humans have, when we make a sudden change in our lives, our brain feels a sense of crisis and produces hormones that increase our appetite and decrease our metabolism. This is how rebounding works. The golden rule of success is to "lose weight slowly" so that the brain does not notice.
Weigh yourself every day when you wake up in the morning and before going to bed at night and make a graph. If your morning weight is even 50 grams less than the previous morning, that’s good! Seeing any amount of decrease will motivate you to lower it more. The trick is to make it fun to get on the scale and you’ll end up sticking with it even if your willpower is weak. Even if there are days when temptation gets the best of you, it's okay if you win four and lose twice in a week. The trick is to forgive yourself for being weak and keep going.
The kidneys are responsible for filtering and cleaning waste from the blood. When there is too much waste, the kidneys break down. The scary thing is that kidney disease has no symptoms early on. Please pay attention to the "creatinine" in your health checkup results. Creatinine is the amount of waste that should be filtered out, and an increase in creatinine means that the kidneys are starting to break down. The estimated filtration "e-GFR" indicates how much kidney capacity remains. When kidneys deteriorate, blood pressure is increases, arteriosclerosis increases... and in a chain reaction, the likelihood of heart disease and stroke also increases. If you have noticed a deterioration in your numbers, you’ll be okay as long as you take greater care of your health. Break that chain of evil. But first of all, go get a checkup haha.
When you have less than 10 teeth, you are 15.6 times more likely to need care. Even if you have a tooth, be careful if you bleed when you brush your teeth. Gum disease bacteria can increase with the iron in blood, enter through broken blood vessels, and travel to the anterior body. It reaches the heart and brain, where it produces enzymes that clot the blood. People with periodontal disease have 8.5 times the risk of stroke and 2.5 times the risk of myocardial infarction compared to healthy people. It also is expensive and has been shown to cause dementia.
Aspiration pneumonia occurs when saliva flows onto your pillow while sleeping and bacteria starts to grow in your lungs. 40,000 people a year die from bacteria that are usually found in the mouth. Clean your mouth daily. At the very least, please do this.
A Message from Mr. Kitaori
D Don't slack on oral care
A Accumulate points by taking long walks
T Take in a good amount of food
E Eating too much isn't good, though
L Life can be improved with a good smile
I It's best to avoid diabetes
F Forget-not about your kidneys too
E Enjoy the lectures! They're free after all.
I enjoyed the lecture!
The part about teeth was particularly interesting.
Takezoe: It was an interesting lecture. Because of my work, I was already careful about my health, but this made want to be even more careful.
Ichijo: I attended the lecture on dementia and learned to visit the dentist, which I do. This lecture renewed my resolve to take care of my health again.
Sato: Periodontal disease being caused by bacteria that enters the blood vessels and travels throughout the body was a scary thing to learn. I want to take good care of my teeth and kidneys.
Late-Stage Medical Care for the Elderly (Notice of Medical Expenses)
P17 後期高齢者医療（医療費通知）「医療費のお知らせ」
What is a notice of medical expenses? In order to deepen your understanding of medical expenses and your health, we send you a "Notice of Medical Expenses" once a year based on the bills from the medical institutions you have visited. When you receive this notice, please check the contents and contact us if you have any questions.
Recipients Persons insured by the Fukushima Prefecture’s Regional Association for Latter-Stage Elderly Medical Insurance who received medical treatment between January and December 2023.
Notice date To be mailed out starting late February
Contact Fukushima Prefecture’s Regional Association for Latter-Stage Elderly Medical Insurance ☎ 024-528-9025
National Health Insurance Tax Exemption for the Prenatal and Postnatal Periods
P17 産前産後期間の国民健康保険税が免除されます
Effective January 1, 2024, national health insurance policy holders who give birth are exempted from paying insurance tax on income and equalization for 4 months (6 months in the case of multiple pregnancies) before and after childbirth. There is no income limit for this exemption.
The Gynecological Examination Period is About to End, See a Doctor as Soon as Possible!
P22 婦人科検診終了間近 早めの受診を
Women whose age is an even number this year (cervical cancer screening: 20 years old or older during this fiscal year, breast cancer screening: 40 years old or older during this fiscal year). *Please contact us if your age is an odd number this year and were not examined in the previous year or do not have a sticker for the examination.
Deadline Thursday, February 29th
Contact Health Promotion Department, Health Management Section ☎ 024-575-1116
People with Depreciable Assets are Required to File a Tax Return
P22 償却資産を持つ人は申告が必要です
Eligibility Corporations within Date City, private business owners
Details Depreciable assets are also subject to property tax. Please do not forget to declare them.
Date Thursday, January 4th ~ Wednesday, January 31st
What to bring Declaration of depreciable assets, classification statement
Other Please contact us if you have newly started a business or have installed solar power generation equipment (10kW or more) and have not received your tax return.
Contact Taxation Department, Property Tax Section ☎ 024-575-1235
Seeking 2024 City Scholarship Students
P24 令和６年度
市の奨学生を募集
Eligibility Someone who has lived in Date City for at least a year and falls under one of the two following categories.
*Other restrictions may apply
1. Students planning to enter high school or currently enrolled in high school
2. Students planning to enter university or currently enrolled in university (High school graduates or those who have passed the high school equivalency examination, etc.)
Details Assistance with loan interest, forgiveness of loans
Application The paperwork will be distributed by the Educational Affairs Division from Wednesday, January 10th ~ Monday, January 29th. Please bring the completed documents to us between Friday, January 30th, and Wednesday, February 7th.
Scan the QR code below for further details
Contact General Affairs and Planning Section, Education and General Affairs Division ☎ 024-575-5852
January Facility Guide
P26 1月の施設案内
Date City Public Library
Library cards are good for 3 years
Those who received a library card through school in 2020 will need to renew their card.
Library hours 9:00 AM~ 7:00 PM (open until 5:00 PM on Sunday and holidays). Closed on Mondays.
Contact ☎ 024-551-2132
Date City Yanagawa Art Museum
Date Region Junior High School Students' Art Exhibition, Date Region Art Teachers' Exhibition (free)
January 6th (Sat.) 1:00 PM ~ January 14th (Sun.) 3:00 PM
1st Date High School Art Club Exhibition (Yanagawa)
(Free) January 26th (Fri.) ~ January 31st (Wed.) until 1:00 PM
Facility hours 9:30 AM ~ 5:00 PM
Closure Mondays (if Monday is a holiday, the facility will be closed the following day)
Contact ☎ 024-527-2656
Date City Hobara History and Culture Museum
Exhibitions (admission charged)
Date City Excavation Survey Preliminary Exhibition: Nagakura Estate Ruins
Open starting January 20th (Sat.)
For more information, please check out page 6
Workshop (admission charged)
Closes January 8th (Mon.)
New Year’s wreath, tree, oriental zodiac cake craft (dragon)
Facility hours 9:00 AM ~ 5:00 PM (closed on Tuesdays)
Price 210 yen (100 yen for elementary, middle, high school students)
Contact ☎ 024-575-1615
Date Hometown Hall
January 8th (Mon.) New Year’s Gathering
(Fukushima Hometown Folk Dance Association)
January 20th (Sat.) ~ 21st (Sun.) Dance Recital
(Dance Factory K Magnifique)
January 25th (Thu.) ~ 26th (Fri.) New Agricultural Products Information Session
(JA Fukushima Mirai)
Hometown Hall hours 9:00 AM ~ 10:00 PM (reception desk open until 5:00 PM). Closed Mondays (if Monday is a holiday, the facility will be closed the following day)
Contact ☎ 024-583-3244
Don’t Forget to Order Your Personalized Educational Picture Book!
P27 パーソナル知育絵本のご注文をお忘れなく！
Contact Child Future Department, Kindergarten and Childcare Support Section ☎ 024-573-5691
We are offering a personalized educational picture book as a present to children who turn 1-3 years old during this fiscal year. The personalization includes your child’s name and personalized messages. An order ticket was sent out to family homes with an eligible child so please order one if interested.
Eligibility Families with children born between April 2nd, 2020 and April 1st, 2023
Deadline March 10th, 2024 (Sun.)
Other Please contact the Child Future Department if you are having difficulty ordering via smart phone or computer. Once the book arrives, please consider filling out our questionnaire on the city website.
Be Sure to Get the Measles-rubella Vaccination Before Entering Elementary School
P27 麻しん風しん予防接種
～小学校入学前に早めの予防接種を～
Contact Health Promotion Department, Health Management Section ☎ 024-575-1116
The Measles-rubella vaccine is effective at preventing infection. Two vaccinations provide stronger immunity for a longer period of time, so it is recommended that you receive the vaccination as early as possible before entering elementary school.
Eligibility Measles, Rubella 1st dose: Between 1st and 2nd birthday
Measles, Rubella 2nd dose: Children born between April 2nd, 2017 and April 1st, 2018
Deadline March 31st, 2024
Cost Free *Full price will be charged after the deadline
Reservation Please contact and schedule with a participating medical facility
What to bring Insurance card, Mother and Child Health Booklet, medical history form
This Month’s Payment Deadlines
P30 今月の納期
The payment deadline is Wednesday, January 31st
・Property tax (4th payment)
・National Health Insurance (7th payment)
・Nursing Care Insurance (7th payment)
・Late-stage Elderly Health Insurance (6th payment)
Coordinator for International Relations’ Monthly Column by Lara Justice
P31 連載コラム
国際交流員の活動日誌
Auspicious Meals of the New Year
Happy New Year!
Are you a part of the population that eats osechi ryōri every year? Making it at home takes a tremendous amount of time, and buying it usually costs quite a penny, so to me it feels very extravagant! The New Year’s tradition in the South, where I was born and raised, however, is the exact opposite. In fact, we even have the saying "eat poor on New Year's, and eat fat the rest of the year." Therefore, traditional foods eaten on New Year’s Day are centered around 4 different foods that have historically been available at a cheap cost; black-eyed peas, collard greens, cornbread, and pork. Similar to osechi ryōri, each of these foods carry their own symbolism of something the person eating it hopes to attain during the New Year.
Firstly, black-eyed peas symbolize luck and fortune. Some say this is because they are a copper color like American coins, while others believe the swelling of the beans while being cooked symbolizes the swelling of wealth in the New Year. Cornbread, different from common white bread, is made using cornmeal, giving it a golden color. As such, cornbread is said to symbolize gold. Collard greens are a leafy vegetable similar to komatsuna, found commonly in Japan. Due to their green color, not unlike American dollar bills, they are said to symbolize money. Lastly, eating pork is said to bring luck as pigs root around in a forward motion, inviting a forward trajectory in life.
Regardless of what’s on your plate during the New Year season, I hope your year is overflowing with health, happiness and fortune!
