Japan: In a ‘nation of old people’, the rise of Gen Z politicians

Japan has been dubbed as a nation of old people. Its ageing population is a matter of grave concern. But the Asian nation has some reason to cheer. It has now grabbed headlines for its GenZ politicians – the country’s youngest mayor to be precise. All of 26, Ryosuke Takashima has been elected as the new mayor of Ashiya, Hyogo Prefecture. It’s good news for Japan which is among the countries that have the world’s oldest population . And Takashima is not alone. Many young politicians are in a position of power in the country, according to a report by CNN. Let’s take a look at those who have assumed office at a young age in Japan, where most members of Parliament are aged between 50 to 70. The youngest mayor In an election that took place on Sunday, Ryosuke Takashima was picked as the mayor. The 26-year-old is the country’s youngest person to take over the role. Before him, Kotaro Shisida was the youngest mayor elected from Musashimurayama, Tokyo, in 1994. He was 27, according to a report in The Japan News. Takashima graduated from Harvard University last year; he has a bachelor’s degree in environmental health engineering. [caption id=“attachment_12511532” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Takashima promised reforms in education, childcare and youth healthcare. Image courtesy: takashimaryosuke.jp[/caption] “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,” he told the media. During his campaign, Takashima said he would provide more support for young families. He promised free medical care for people 18 and younger and improved English education programmes. He campaigned for “green infrastructure planning, promising to create more public spaces and parks, as well as reforms in education, childcare and youth healthcare,” reports CNN. The young politician will take over his new role on 1 May. Also read: Decoding the truth behind Elon Musk’s Japan will ‘cease to exist’ tweet She wants to destroy the existing image of politicians Takashima has company. Twenty-five-year-old Ayaka Nasuno of Nippon Ishin (Japan Innovation Party) won the most votes for Kawasaki City Council in the Kanagawa Prefecture, earlier this month. After winning the election, she stood in front of a railway station and thanked the people. “I was elected. I will do my best,” she said. “I feel the weight of the votes I have won. I want to talk with residents and destroy the existing image of politicians.” Nasuno has a tough childhood. She was bullied in school and decided early on that she was not going to sit mum. Bullying continues to haunt educational institutions in Japan – in 2021-2022, the country recorded 615,351 cases, the bulk of those from elementary schools. Nasuno founded a non-profit organisation for trash pickup activities in her senior year of high school, hoping to “create a place in my hometown” for isolated children. It was quite the experience and she found it rewarding to energise her community. Now at 25, she has taken her first big step into politics. “This is the start of my career as a councillor, so I will work hard for the benefit of my hometown,” she wrote on Twitter. The YouTuber who campaigned for work-life balance GenZ often gets a bad rap for being stuck in the online world. But this 26-year-old YouTuber used that to his advantage. “Shin the Hiratsuka YouTuber”, as he is popularly known, makes videos on local shops and events in Hiratsuka City. He also runs a Pokémon card shop. While creating content for his YouTube channel, he interacted with local business owners and learned about their grievances. That’s when he decided to run for the city council. [caption id=“attachment_12511542” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Shin, who has been elected to the city council, runs a local Pokémon card shop and has a YouTube channel. Image courtesy: @mrjeffu/Twitter[/caption] According to him, the city council needed some young blood. The average age of the council is 56 with the youngest member being 40, Shin says on his website. The many high schools and universities in Hiratsuka are an indication of the young populace and Shin thought he could usher in some change. Shin is reportedly a single father of a three-year-old. His campaign focussed on childcare issues, work-life balance and supporting the elderly, which dominate the population, reports CNN. The YouTuber touched a chord and won. Also read: Explained: Why Japan is staring at a 'now or never' situation on its shrinking population The Uyghur woman leader Arfiya Eri stands out in Japanese politics for many a reason. In the “old boys club” she is among the few women politicians. In the Liberal Democratic Party, dominated by elderly men with political pedigree, she comes from no influential family. She is 34 and she is of Uyghur descent. Eri has been elected to Japan’s Lower House, making her the first woman with Uyghur links to be elected to any parliament in the world, according to the World Uyghur Congress. The Uyghur ethnic group that lives largely in China’s Xinjiang region has faced human rights abuses in the country, according to the United Nations. [caption id=“attachment_12511562” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Arfiya Eri has been elected to Japan’s Lower House. She is a young, female, multilingual former UN official, all of which already helps her stand out in Japanese politics. AFP[/caption] Eri is of mixed heritage – her father is Uyghur and her mother is Uzbek. But she has researched Uyghur issues during her studies abroad, according to her official website. She studied at Georgetown University in the US and worked for the United Nations. Growing up in Kitakyushu, a city in Fukuoka Prefecture, she never felt like an outsider. Politics, of course, is a different ball game. Eri knows that well. “Japan already is a diverse country, it’s just we’re not seeing that represented in politics,” she said in an interview with Bloomberg TV. She has spoken about male-dominated politics and society in Japan, the gender pay gap, the unequal burden of housework and childcare on women, and the need for men to take more active roles in child-rearing reports CNN. While she talks about diversity, inclusion and women’s representation in politics, one of her top priorities is national security. Her love for the country is evident when she says that the feeling that Japan is declining is not true. She was quoted as saying by _Japan Time_s, “I think we’re an awesome country and there’s so much that we could do to be more awesome.” With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.