36-year-old political newcomer becomes Japan's youngest female mayor

Apr 07, 2020 | News On Japan

Apr 07, 2020 (Japan Today) - A 36-year-old political newcomer has become Japan's youngest-ever female mayor after winning the Tokushima mayoral election on Sunday, according to Japan's city mayors' association.

Sawako Naito, running as an independent, beat incumbent Akiyoshi Endo, 64, in the election, which split the vote of members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in Tokushima Prefecture.

"With the perspective of a woman, I want to make Tokushima a comfortable city for working citizens and families with small children," Naito told reporters. She turned 36 in March.

The previous holder of the record for youngest female mayor was Naomi Koshi, who was elected mayor of Otsu, Shiga Prefecture in 2012 aged 36 years and six months.

Naito, who has multiple sclerosis, periodically takes medication for the disease. She began displaying symptoms while studying at the University of Tokyo and has published a book about her experience.

But she assured her supporters that her condition would not impact on her duties as head of the capital of the prefecture.

Naito was backed by some members of the prefectural assembly and leaders of the LDP's prefectural chapter, while Endo, who was seeking a second term, was backed by city assembly members.

Typhoons No. 28 and 29 Bring High Waves to Japan's Pacific Coast

Two typhoons moving across the Pacific southeast of Japan are expected to remain well away from the Japanese mainland, but powerful swells could bring rough seas to a wide stretch of the country's Pacific coastline throughout the three-day holiday weekend, according to forecasts updated at 3 a.m. on October 10.

Cyberattacks Spread Across Japan

A series of cyberattacks has disrupted business operations and exposed millions of customer records across Japan, with a ransomware attack on a cloud service provider affecting 495 companies and local governments nationwide, while convenience store operator Lawson has disclosed a separate breach involving more than 2.15 million personal information records.

Japan's First 360-Degree Projection Mapping Opens in Osaka

Japan's first 360-degree projection mapping show will open at the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts on October 10, transforming the historic building into an immersive world of light, music, and seasonal imagery, with organizers hoping the attraction will also help stimulate the city's nighttime economy.

Tokyo University Professor Wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Tokyo University of Science professor emeritus Kenzo Soai has been awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry together with French chemist Henri B. Kagan for discoveries that transformed scientists' understanding of how chemical reactions can favor one of two mirror-image forms of a molecule.

US Military Halts All Okinawa Operations for 48 Hours

The US military suspended activities by all forces stationed in Okinawa for 48 hours from noon on October 7, an unusual measure following the arrest of a US Marine in connection with a robbery and murder case that has renewed scrutiny of crimes involving American service members.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Most Sightings of Fugitive Yoichi Hatta Reported in Kanto

Police in Oita Prefecture have revealed that the Kanto region accounts for the largest number of reported sightings of Yoichi Hatta, a fugitive wanted in connection with a fatal hit-and-run incident in Beppu in 2022, with authorities preparing to distribute new wanted posters nationwide from November as the search enters its fifth year.