Hisao Naito, Mayor of Nirasaki

An unexpected career change and the leader's internal struggles

Hisao Naito, Mayor of Nirasaki

■ Profile
He graduated from the Faculty of Law at Keio University. While serving as the representative director of Naito Co., Ltd., he served as the chairman of the city's board of education and chairman of the city's chamber of commerce before becoming the mayor of Nirasaki in November 2014. Under the banner of "Team Nirasaki," he has worked to attract wineries utilizing the city's specialty grapes and launched the "Comeback Support Project" in collaboration with citizens as a population measure, opening the "Youth Development Plaza Miacis." Currently in his third term as mayor, he is working to improve the sports commission by developing a new municipal gymnasium to realize wellness.

Hisao Naito, the mayor of Nirasaki City, Yamanashi Prefecture, says that during his university years he was engrossed in mountain climbing and historical research, but a chance encounter led him into the world of politics. Since then, he has navigated city administration through trial and error, and currently oversees the station-front compact city concept and youth support. We spoke with him about his career, which has been built on valuing human connections, the charm of his city, his thoughts on his work, and his outlook for the future.

■Thoughts on politics

I was born in Nirasaki City, Yamanashi Prefecture, attended local schools for middle and high school, and then moved to Tokyo for university, where I enrolled in the Faculty of Law, Department of Political Science. After moving to Tokyo, I felt unsettled by the urban landscape, which lacked the mountains that had been so close to me for so long, so I joined a mountain climbing club and climbed mountains all over Japan. Academically, I enjoyed history, so even though I was in the Department of Political Science, I focused on the study of international political history and case studies, specializing in Chinese political history with a focus on Southeast Asia and Asia as a whole.
Although I majored in political science, I didn't aspire to become a politician during my student days. My father was a politician, so I was exposed to politics from a young age, but I also experienced many negative opinions and unpleasant things during elections, so I never considered becoming a politician myself.
The reason I became mayor was that when the previous mayor resigned, there weren't many candidates, so the people of the town asked me to run for mayor. At the time, I had no experience as a council member, and it was a very sudden request, so I initially declined. However, the people of the town were so enthusiastic and strongly encouraged me, saying they wouldn't leave until I said yes, that I was moved by their support, and thankfully, I was able to take on the role of mayor.

■A climate rich in nature and the local culture

No matter where you go in Nirasaki City, you can see Mount Fuji beautifully. I don't know if it's influenced by that scenery, but I feel that this town has a unique kindness and atmosphere. For example, people warmly welcome newcomers, and there is little friction or conflict. I think the warmth of the people is a valuable asset. However, Nirasaki City is currently facing a major problem of a rapidly declining population. We are currently focusing on supporting young people, such as how to keep them in the city or attract them from outside. For example, we have accepted 10 people from the Regional Revitalization Cooperation Team, a group mainly run by young people throughout Japan, and we are also operating a facility called "Youth Development Plaza Miacis" to create a third place for junior high and high school students.
Miacis is a place where students from all grades can gather together to study, play games, and do all sorts of things freely. For example, they can get advice on what kind of job they want to pursue in the future, and members of the Regional Revitalization Cooperation Team, who are part of the organizing staff, can listen to their concerns. High school students can take on challenges through a program called Spark Challenge. For example, a student who loves writing might write their own novel to fulfill their dream of becoming an anime director, or a student who loves Korea might plan a trip to Korea to find goods and ideas, or a high school student who loves board games might develop and create a board game that allows people to learn about carbon credits while having fun.

■The future we aim for

Currently, we are working to reform the working style of our staff with a limited number of people. First, we are conducting a survey of working hours to identify departments with excessive overtime and are in the process of reducing the burden through digitalization. In addition, for the benefit of citizens, we are gradually digitizing procedures so that applications at the counter do not take long. We are still a long way from fully realizing a "no-paper-writing counter," but we are improving convenience by increasing the number of procedures that can be applied for at convenience stores.
I myself frequently use AI, combining scripts prepared by staff with my own ideas to help me prepare speeches. I strive every day to make my speeches, which tend to sound stiff, sound as natural as possible in my own words.
Furthermore, our town aims to become a "compact city" centered around Nirasaki Station. We pride ourselves on the ease of living, with commercial facilities, schools, and hospitals concentrated in a small area, meaning you can take care of most errands in the city center.
However, when you listen to the real voices of the younger generation, high school students often express their longing for familiar commercial facilities, saying, "Mayor, bring in Starbucks and Saizeriya!" While I sympathize with their feelings, the truth is that Nirasaki is currently seeing a rapid increase in unique and interesting shops. For example, there is a 3,000 yen parfait specialty shop that is always fully booked. The parfaits are huge, delicious, and luxurious enough to serve as a lunch. In addition, there is an authentic pizza restaurant that has renovated a former ramen shop and imported a stone oven from Italy, and Showa-era row houses have been reborn. I myself am very excited about the changes in the town as the old and new intertwine.

■Message to university students

If there are 100 students, there are bound to be 100 different dreams. I believe that you should absolutely pursue your dreams, and even if you fail in your attempts to achieve them, it will never be in vain. I myself have made many mistakes as I've been fumbling my way through life, but looking back now, all of them have been valuable lessons. You can always recover from mistakes when you're young, so I want you to try without fear.
And just as important as learning during your student years is making lifelong friends. When I ran for election, not only my classmates from junior and senior high school in my hometown, but also my university friends who lived far away came to support me.
Friends are truly an invaluable asset in life. During your student life, I hope you can find at least one close friend you can trust completely. I'm rooting for you!

Interviewed by Student Newspaper Online on July 15, 2026 by Chiharu Yamada, second-year student at the University of Information, Management and Innovation

Reina Inomoto (1st year, Kyoto University of the Arts) / Chiharu Yamada (2nd year, Information Management Innovation Professional University) / Yurie Watanabe (2nd year, Josai International University)

■ Youth Development Plaza Miacis
A base for junior and senior high school students. "A third place for junior and senior high school students that is neither home nor school."
Contact: NPO Kawarabe-sha
https://kawarabe.com/youth-center/

(Front) Youth worker/Community revitalization support team member Hikari Mukaiyama / Youth worker/Community revitalization support team member Kazuki Tsuhara

(Back) Chiharu Yamada, 2nd year student at the University of Information Management and Innovation / Reina Inomoto, 1st year student at Kyoto University of the Arts / Yurie Watanabe, 2nd year student at Josai International University