Readers will be aware that up to this year, the local prefectural government had been consistently positive and receptive in its dealings with my NPO, resulting in smooth progress in several projects, whereas the city administration had ignored our presence in a manner that suggested a deliberate stance on their part.
But the positions have been totally reversed into 2008.
I have posted several comments concerning the conversion of grounds at a local high school, in which staff at the revelant department have shown clearly that they place a higher priority on the opinions of people who know very little about grass, themselves included, than on our specialist advice. Quite the contrary, the city officials responsible for a project to convert play school grounds to grass and for a project to convert local parks to decent grass have approached us with an attitude of a desire to listen and learn from us. The atmosphere has suddenly become far more positive and optimistic.