In Japan’s Hyogo Prefecture, Ryosuke Takashima has been chosen to serve as Ashiya’s new mayor. The election was held on Sunday. Ryosuke, 26 is the youngest mayor in Japan’s history.
Kotaro Shisida was Japan’s youngest-ever elected mayor before him. In 1994, he won a seat in Tokyo’s Musashimurayama district. He was 27, according to The Japan News.
Ryosuke left Tokyo University after one year to go to Harvard University to study Bachelor of Arts in Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering. He completed the degree last year.
“I hope people will not evaluate me on my age”: Ryosuke Takashima
According to the story, Ryosuke launched the Ryugaku Fellowship while still a student to support students who wish to attend institutions abroad. Interacting with the reporters after winning the election, Ryosuke said, “I hope people will look at me and evaluate me not on my age but on the results [that I will achieve]. I can run because I am young. I want to make Ashiya the most desirable city in the world to continue living in.”
Ryosuke won the election by 46 percent, the report stated. During his campaign, the young Mayor spoke about “providing more support for young families, free medical care for people 18 and younger, and improved English education programs.” He also campaigned for “green infrastructure planning, promising to create more public spaces and parks, as well as reforms in education, childcare, and youth healthcare,” reported CNN.