First Youngest Lady Mayor in Japan, Start from Local Level, Amplified to National Level
JAPAN Times reported in 2016 that Japan ranked 163rd out of 193 countries in terms of women representation in national parliaments. It is not a satisfying record, indeed; however, in 2012, the country witnessed a 36-year-old Naomi Koshi take her role as the youngest mayor in Otsu, the capital city of Shiga Prefecture in Japan. Naomi Koshi is also Shiga’s first female mayor.
What Koshi has done Koshi puts great attention on women’s opportunity to stay in the workforce; particularly after women taking some time to take care of their new-born child. It also relates to deeply rooted cultural expectation that only women take maternal leave. Data shows that only two per cent of male employees took parental leave in 2013 all over Japan. Combating this issue, Koshi, in 2015, launched a new initiative which gives monetary incentives to male citizens who choose to take parental leave. Every male employee in City Hall is, thus, strongly encouraged to take parental leave when their wife gives birth. As a result, the number of mother (having children up to five years old) who are working full-time has increased by 50 per cent. Not to mention, the birth rate in Otsu has also been increasing. What Koshi has done not only contributes to local level but also national level:
the recovery of population decline and labor shortages, which are going to be major problems facing Japan in the future. The inadequate number of existing nurseries also captured her attention. She noted 150 children were listed waiting for a spot in daycare. Improving this, she has increased the city subsidies to private nurseries and have successfully pushed for the construction of new nurseries capable of accommodating about 1,500 children. By doing this, she has not only improved the childcare programme, but also provided solution for working mother to get good care of their children while working. Koshi accomplished this effort in three years. Koshi has also created new opportunity for women who have already quit their job by opening a coworking space in Otsu starting from 2016. In form of a shared office available for rent, the co-working office is aimed at facilitating women who would like to start a business again. Besides, a women’s business management school has also started and there is a group of female business owners that supports women entrepreneurs. Koshi has not only inspired many Japanese women to stay in the male-dominated-workfield, she has also advanced the city’s tourism sector, learning from Geneva for town planning using lake. She has been inspired to take advantage of Lake Biwa, the largest freshwater in Japan, and make it symbol of the city. Moreover, she also plans to renovate the city’s tourist information center and promote traditional Japanese home so that guests from overseas can experience Japanese culture. It is difficult for women to run for elections in the first place because of gender-based discrimination in Japan, but today Naomi Koshi is serving her second term as the mayor of Otsu. Keywords for Naomi Koshi’s achievement are gender equality, sensitive to local people’s needs, and replication in developing her city. Embodying these spirit, Naomi Koshi has contributed, not only to the city’s local development, but also to the national level; addressing the cultural aspect and encouraging population growth.