Hirono has declared itself "the most beautiful sunrise town in Japan." The town, located in the southern part of the coast, has been using the catchphrase "the town that heralds spring in the Tohoku region" due to its mild climate, and will now also promote itself as a town with the most beautiful sunrises.

　広野町が「日本一美しい日の出の町」を宣言した。浜通り南部に位置する町は温暖な気候から「東北に春を告げるまち」をキャッチコピーにしてきたが、今後は日の出の美しい町としてもＰＲしていく。

　Based on a survey conducted in cooperation with weather forecasting company Weathermap Co., the town selected six other municipalities from among 300 that face the Pacific Ocean － including Taikicho, Hokkaido; Choshi, Chiba Prefecture; Ito, Shizuoka Prefecture; and Hyuga, Miyazaki Prefecture － as they fulfill the same three conditions as Hirono: the sea is located to the east of the town; sunrise is visible from the town center; and sunrise is visible throughout the year.

　町は日の出の見え方について、気象予報会社ウェザーマップと連携し調査。太平洋に面した全国３００市区町村から、広野と同様に〈１〉町の東側に海がある〈２〉町の中心部から日の出が見える〈３〉年間を通して日の出が見える―の３条件で、北海道大樹町、千葉県銚子市、静岡県伊東市、和歌山県那智勝浦町、高知県黒潮町、宮崎県日向市を抽出した。

　Of the seven municipalities, Hirono ranked second in terms of the thinness of dust and other aerosols in the air and first in terms of the number of clear days on which the sunrise is visible. Given these findings, Hirono decided to name itself the most beautiful sunrise town in Japan overall.

　広野を含む７自治体で空気中のほこりなどの「エアロゾル」の薄さを調べると広野は２位、日の出が見える機会が多い「快晴日数」は広野が１位だった。この調査結果を基に、総合的に日本一美しい日の出の町を名乗ることにした。

　According to the town, recommended spots for watching the sunrise are Mikan no Oka, where tangerine trees have been planted on a hill overlooking the sea, and Hirono Bosai Ryokuchi park, which was built as a tsunami prevention measure.
　A video showing how the town came to be named the best in Japan and the sunrise that can be seen in Hirono is available on the town's official YouTube account (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzBvic8LhZs).

（　Translated by The Japan News　）

　町によると、町内の海を見下ろす高台にみかんが植えられたみかんの丘や、津波対策として整備された防災緑地がおすすめのスポットという。日本一を名乗る経緯や広野の日の出を紹介する動画は、町公式ユーチューブ(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzBvic8LhZs)で見ることができる。

　【　２０２３年３月２３日付・福島民友新聞掲載　】