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Awards Ceremony to Present the Prime Minister's Commendations for Contributors to the National Greening Campaign Wednesday, July 26, 2006 JAPANESE An awards ceremony to present the Prime Minister's commendations for contributors to the National Greening Campaign was held at the Prime Minister's Official Residence. The promotion of greening is an important activity from the perspective of the preservation of the nation's land and environment, the cultivation of water resources, and the improvement of the living environment. The Prime Minister holds an awards ceremony every year to honor individuals and groups who have made outstanding contributions in the implementation of the National Greening Campaign. Those who received commendations from Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi this year are Mr. Ichiro Nakata from Toyama Prefecture; 15 groups, including the Anjo factory of the Aisan Industry Co., Ltd. in Aichi Prefecture; 5 schools, including the Saiki Tsuruoka High School in Oita Prefecture; and 3 local public bodies, including Ono Town in Gifu Prefecture. In his address, Prime Minister Koizumi said, "The campaign to promote greening is not simply about planting trees. It is a very personal and important campaign about learning how we can protect the environment, from that of the communities we live in to Japan's, and that of the entire world. I would like to express my respect to all of you who have made contributions to greening activities in your daily lives, paying due consideration to the coexistence of humans and nature." In response to this, Mr. Shoichi Murata, the Chairman of the Council for Greening in Asahikawa City, who represented the awardees, said in his acknowledgements, "I am deeply grateful for your recognition of our local greening activities which we have promoted in our respective positions. On behalf of all the awardees I vow to take this opportunity as momentum in carrying on with further fruitful activities in the future."