Mayor of Chichibu City, Kazuhiko Kiyono

Utilizing the unique strengths of each region to create a Chichibu of "sharing"

Mayor of Chichibu City, Kazuhiko Kiyono

■ Profile
The fourth mayor of Chichibu City. A father of two, his hobbies include cooking, listening to music, and visiting shrines and temples. He was a member of the rugby club in high school and graduated from the School of Political Science and Economics at Waseda University. His political philosophy is "to utilize the unique characteristics of the region to create a Chichibu where people can share." Against the backdrop of a declining population, he aims to draw out the strengths of residents and solve problems through dialogue. He aims to run a highly transparent administration, with a focus on revitalizing the region's medical care, education, and industry.

Chichibu City is conveniently located about 80 minutes by express train from central Tokyo, yet is blessed with abundant nature and culture. Chichibu City held a mayoral election in April of this year, and Mayor Kazuhiko Kiyono was elected at age 41, the youngest elected mayor since the city was established. We spoke to Mayor Kiyono about the appeal of Chichibu City, his efforts to combat population decline, and his outlook for the future.

To be honest, I wasn't originally particularly interested in politics or civil service. As a student, I belonged to a seminar on public administration at Waseda University's School of Political Science and Economics, but I was particularly interested in forest policy. During my time as a student, I did an internship in Kenya for six months, researching the compatibility of poverty issues with environmental conservation. There, I realized there are similarities between the structure of poverty in Africa and the relationship between urban and rural areas in Japan. Africa is experiencing a rapid outflow of human resources to Europe, which is reducing people's ability to make decisions to improve their lives. The same is true in Japan. While the situation is improving overall, it is an urban-centered society, and the outflow of young people from rural areas like Chichibu to urban areas is reducing the vitality of local areas. What I realized in Africa is the origin of my current various activities.

■ To city council member and mayor

After graduating from university, I worked as a researcher for a nature conservation organization focused on forest conservation. I also worked on "trusts," where people pool their money to purchase water sources, and on lobbying for legislation to revitalize forest conservation and forestry. This was my first involvement with politics. I continued these activities, but the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred, and the situation surrounding Japan's forests changed dramatically. At the same time, many changes occurred within me, and I decided to quit my job and work full-time for a reconstruction support organization for the Great East Japan Earthquake. While observing the reconstruction efforts, I realized the need for urban development and the importance of local policies. I resolved to return to Chichibu and run for city council. I became a city council member at the age of 30 and served for three terms, 11 years in total. While serving as a city council member, I once again felt the charm of the area and thought, "If I can utilize this charm, Chichibu will become even better," so I decided to run for mayor.

■A town born from "sharing"

The current Chichibu City was formed in 2005 through the merger of one city, one town, and two villages, so each region actually has its own unique history. Going back even further, there was the Great Showa Merger, during which the area that now houses Chichibu City consisted of over 10 towns and villages. Therefore, upon closer inspection, each region has its own unique festivals, industries, and history. However, one thing that can be said overall is that this region was not built by powerful figures, but by people contributing what they had. I express this with the word "sharing." As proof of this, Chichibu still holds 300 festivals annually, proving that a community of mutual support is alive and well. My philosophy in urban development is to "harness the strengths of unique regions to create a Chichibu of sharing." Going forward, I hope to continue leveraging the unique characteristics of the Chichibu region while also leveraging the strengths of people in each of its smaller areas.

■ Unique education in the community

Population decline in rural areas is a major issue throughout Japan, and Chichibu City is taking various measures to address this issue. In addition to initiatives such as providing free school lunches, we established a "City Development Research Team" within City Hall, primarily comprised of young city employees, to more closely address the needs of our residents. We are engaged in lively discussions with these young employees on two themes: creating play areas for children and creating an environment that makes it easier to take childcare leave. We also believe that education presents a major challenge. The Chichibu region faces the issue of a declining number of elementary school students, and at the same time, fewer students are advancing to local high schools. While students are free to move out, we feel the need to create a more distinctive education system that will attract local residents. High schools are established by prefectures, so Chichibu City has not been particularly involved until now. However, to make the high school more attractive, we have deployed a local revitalization cooperation team and begun activities such as educational coordination. Furthermore, from the perspective of youth support, since I became mayor, we have established a new department called "Youth Empowerment," creating an environment where young people can easily express their opinions and reorganizing the organization to reflect those opinions in policy.

■ Promotion of regional administration and the Arakawa River Basin Initiative

Looking ahead, I have two major visions: promoting regional government and the Arakawa River Basin Initiative. In areas with declining populations like the Chichibu region, some projects are inefficient when run by a single city or town. By collaborating with the Chichibu region's one city and four towns, I aim to achieve efficient business operations and reorganize public facilities. Furthermore, as the Arakawa River Basin Initiative focuses on the Chichibu region as the source of the Arakawa River, I plan to collaborate with local governments in the basin on economic, population, and security policies. Furthermore, since the Chichibu region has been selected by the national government as the starting point for drone routes, I want to ensure we don't miss out on the development of drone logistics. Regarding tourism, the current annual tourist numbers are in the 5 million range, but I aim to double that number within 10 years by incorporating inbound demand.

■Message to university students

University students have time and an environment where they can do what they want. Therefore, I encourage them to try a variety of things, which I believe will be useful in the future. Studying abroad is especially great. No matter what country you go to or what your goal is, I'm sure it will be a good experience.

Student Newspaper Online September 19, 2025 Interview by Shimada Takakazu, 9rd year student at Hosei University