Photo/Illutration Shoko Kawata, the newly elected mayor of Yawata, Kyoto Prefecture (The Asahi Shimbun)

YAWATA, Kyoto Prefecture—Despite lacking ties to this city and being described as a poor public speaker, a former social worker won an election here to become the youngest female mayor in Japan.

Shoko Kawata, 33, bested two other candidates on Nov. 12 to win the mayoral election in Yawata, a city of about 70,000 residents south of the ancient capital of Kyoto.

Kawata was backed by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, junior coalition partner Komeito and the main opposition party Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan.

Born in nearby Nara city, Kawata graduated from the economics faculty of Kyoto University before entering the Kyoto city government to work as a case worker for those seeking public assistance.

She said the problems encountered by her family in obtaining educational support for her younger brother who had an intellectual disability stimulated her interest in politics when she was in senior high school.

Kawata said she entered politics to “prescribe” policies that can cure various problems facing society.

The mayoral election was made necessary because Fumiaki Horiguchi, 71, resigned due to failing health.

In the course of picking a successor, Kawata’s name came up because Horiguchi said that despite her young age, she had experience working in social welfare.

After working in the Kyoto city government, Kawata served as an aide to Akiko Santo, an LDP Upper House member who was once president of the Diet chamber.

During an appearance before the official start of the campaign, Santo acknowledged that Kawata had no direct ties to the community, was not well known and was a poor public speaker.

“But she loves Yawata and is eager to go to work on behalf of the city,” Santo said. “With the feelings of a parent, I ask you to support her.”

Lacking connections in Yawata, Kawata relied on municipal assembly members from the three parties that supported her to arrange meetings with local companies and other organizations.

While working as a case worker in Kyoto, Kawata said she saw how children were being neglected by their parents and how employees at child consultation centers were being stretched to the limit with the workload.

The conditions made it difficult for the centers to cooperate with social welfare offices to help families and protect children.

Kawata found her youth an advantage during the campaign because many young mothers could easily talk to her about ways to improve their communities.

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