Ladies and gentlemen．
Japan Auto Camping Federation, established in 1969, will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2019. It is our great honor to host the 89th FICC International Rally in this anniversary year.
This will be the third FICC International Rally in Japan after 1983 and 1994, and will be held for the first time in Tohoku, the northeast region of Japan. Tohoku is known as having the most beautiful nature in the country, and for its abundance of agricultural products. Throughout its long history, nature and culture have been harmonized, providing a wealth of sightseeing spots which attract many tourists.
The rally will take place from 28th September through 6th October 2019 in Ten-ei Village about 220 km northeast of Tokyo. The trip takes just two hours by bullet train (shinkansen) and then bus or three hours by car on the highway. Ten-ei Village is a rural area which produces mainly rice, vegetables and rice wine (sake). The Ten-ei brand of rice has won gold medals at an international contest for successive nine years.
Ten-ei Village features a big lake created by a dam, called Hatoriko. The area around this lake is called Hatoriko Highland, a part of which is the rally venue. Rally participants can enjoy all kinds of outdoor activities such as hiking, trekking, tennis, golf and fishing in the Hatoriko Highland.
The center of the rally venue is the Hatoriko Community Center which has a large hall with capacity for 200 persons and all facilities necessary for the rally head office as well a large open-air space for everyone gathering for the opening and closing ceremonies.
There are two auto-camping grounds for the rally participants. One of them is called Angel Forest Nasu-Shirakawa, which is located approximately 1.5 km south of the Communication Center. It has more than 70 modern cottages, an Italian restaurant with 250 seats, two shops and two types of hot spring (onsen). The other one is called Hatoriko Lakeside Auto Camping Ground, which is located 1.3 km north of the Communication Center. It has 45 tent sites, 12 bungalows and 3 cottages.
All other rally sites are located within a radius of about 1.5 kilometers from the Hatoriko Communication Center. They will be connected by a shuttle bus, but campers can comfortably walk the short distance. They can also rent a mountain bike to explore the surrounding countryside.
The biggest city nearest to Ten-ei Village is Aizu Wakamatsu, which has more than 600 years of history and is famous for its beautiful white castle and other historical relics. Thus, it is also possible to enjoy a wealth of history and culture during the rally.
Ten-ei Village administratively belongs to Fukushima Prefecture which hit world headlines for the nuclear disaster in 2011. It is well known for its natural beauty, agricultural products, historical heritage as well as hospitality of the locals. Fukushima has now fully recovered from the disaster and is safe and clean, except for a very limited and strictly controlled area. The average radiation level in Fukushima Prefecture is no higher than in major cities of the world such as Tokyo, Paris and London. Among many interesting sightseeing tours, we are planning a special tour to visit the nuclear power plant. The buses will travel about 100 km from the rally venue to the border of the plant where you can see the huge cubic enclosures which contain the nuclear reactor buildings. This sight will give every visitor a unique opportunity to think about technology, nature and human beings. It is worth noting that Fukushima is now a world leader in clean and renewable energy, including solar and wind power.
The 89th FICC International Rally will be a thoroughly enjoyable and significant experience. We welcome campers from all over the world to Ten-ei Village to enjoy the beautiful scenery, delicious food and local people throughout the Rally.
Thank you very much.
August 2016 (FICC General Assembly in Ponte de Lima)