Chofu City Mayor Takaki Nagatomo

With its convenient access and abundant greenery, this town fosters a peaceful lifestyle.

Chofu City Mayor: Yoshiki Nagatomo

■ Profile
- Graduated from Keio University, Faculty of Law, Department of Political Science in March 1976.
・April 1976 Employment at Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)
　　　　　　　　I spent a total of nine years studying and working in France and Belgium.
- September 1991 to March 1994: Part-time lecturer at Chuo University (International Relations)
・April 2002: Retired from Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)
- July 2002: Assumed office as Mayor of Chofu City
- In May 2017, assumed the position of Chairman of the Tokyo Metropolitan Mayors' Association (term of office until April 2019).
・May 5: Appointed as advisor to the Tokyo Metropolitan Association
- July 2022: Mayor of Chofu City (6th term)

Chofu City in Tokyo boasts excellent accessibility, being adjacent to Tokyo's 23 wards, while also retaining the natural beauty of Musashino, symbolized by the Tama River and Jindaiji Temple. It is also known for its proactive educational policies and its thriving film and sports culture.
In Chofu City, the person in charge of city administration and steering the city is Mayor Takaki Nagatomo.
As Chofu celebrates its 70th anniversary as a city, we spoke with the locals about its history and future prospects.

I was interested in politics since my student days and was active in the debate club, but I think I was a fairly typical student who valued my own time. When I was thinking about my career path after graduation, I didn't aspire to be a politician from the start. My first job was at the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), a government-affiliated organization.
The reason I didn't choose a private company was because I wanted to be involved in work that considers how to move society forward. I felt that working in a public capacity that is involved with society as a whole suited my aspirations more than pursuing the profits of a single company. At JETRO, I was involved in work that promoted cooperation between Japanese and overseas companies through trade and investment.
My two years of studying in France deepened my connection with Europe, and after two subsequent overseas assignments, I spent a total of nine years there. While working in a position to support corporate activities, I also witnessed moments of great global change, such as the fall of the Berlin Wall. Through these experiences, I developed a keen sense of the changing international situation, and naturally began to think about the future of Japan.
At one point, I was offered the opportunity to run for the House of Representatives, but I declined the offer because I felt that the objective conditions were not yet met at the time.
However, I was unexpectedly asked to run for mayor of Chofu. It was by no means an easy challenge, but I decided to run, thinking, "I don't want to have any regrets in 10 years." As a result, I won by a narrow margin, and since then I have been involved in city administration as the mayor of Chofu.

■ Aiming for a better educational environment

Until recently, Tokyo faced a difficult situation in terms of education and childcare. The problem of children on waiting lists for daycare centers is a prime example of this. Chofu City was no exception, and at one point, it had over 300 children on waiting lists. In such a situation, before even discussing the quality of educational services, it is essential to first ensure that children have a place to go.
Therefore, we invested a large budget to expand childcare facilities. As a result, the number of children on waiting lists has now decreased to almost zero. We are now moving on to providing higher quality services in a calmer environment.
Initially, the project was primarily driven by public institutions, but in recent years, the number of private operators has increased, and a system is being established where each institution can cooperate while leveraging its own strengths.
On the other hand, as children grow older, the demand for after-school clubs has become strained. In order to prevent children from becoming isolated, we are working with private organizations and companies to increase capacity as much as possible. Chofu City aims to continue to be a city where children can be raised in a natural environment while taking advantage of the convenience of being adjacent to the 23 wards of Tokyo.

■The unique character and message of Chofu

One of Chofu City's greatest attractions, as I mentioned earlier, is that it retains abundant nature despite being adjacent to the 23 wards of Tokyo. It's accessible in about 20 minutes from the city center's terminals, and I feel it's like a "place of relaxation in the city."
Furthermore, Chofu has a rich history in entertainment, being known as a "city of movies," a "city of Mizuki's manga," and a "city of sports" centered around Ajinomoto Stadium. While these achievements can be attributed to good fortune, we are conscious of leveraging these unique characteristics and using them to promote Chofu to people both inside and outside the city in a positive way.
On April 1, 2025, we celebrated the 70th anniversary of our city's incorporation, and we held various commemorative events. What was particularly memorable was that Chofu City was featured in a 15-minute extended television program about a week before the commemorative ceremony. Furthermore, a special edition of "Chikyu no Arukikata" (a travel guide) featuring Chofu City was published. Opportunities like these don't come easily. We feel extremely fortunate to have been able to widely promote the charms of Chofu in this milestone year.

■Towards the future of Chofu City

Over the past 70 years, thanks to the support of many people, we have achieved development that was unimaginable 70 years ago. The development of the Chofu Station Plaza, which we have been working on for many years, is finally nearing completion after more than 20 years. For Chofu, this is truly a "second start." As an administration, we want to fully recognize the significance of this urban development and share it with the citizens. It is important that we do not just finish by developing the plaza, but by holding events that attract people and making full use of it.
In the future, the population of Japan as a whole will decline irreversibly. With the number of people not increasing, the challenge for Chofu City is how to enrich the "substances that make it a place where people can continue to live peacefully." Until now, we have been working on improving the physical infrastructure, but from now on, improving the soft aspects such as welfare, education and childcare, and the environment will become even more important. Preparations for this are already underway, and we plan to gradually inform the citizens from next fiscal year onward.

■Message to students

In short, I want you to "give it your all." It could be studying, sports, or anything else. However, there will be times when you feel like you can't perform as well as you'd like, or when you feel empty. At those times, I want to tell you to "give it your all, even if it feels empty." Everyone wants to get off to a good start when they enter society, but it's not easy to always have a goal. If you feel like you "can't find anything meaningful" during your four years of university life, then worry about it with all your might, and confront that emptiness with all your might. And then, I want you to find just one thing that you can dedicate yourself to. It doesn't matter if it seems nihilistic at first glance. If you pour your energy into it, you will surely see something.

Interview with Student Newspaper Online on September 9, 2026 by Ishii Seizo, a first-year student at Musashino Art University

Reina Inomoto, 1st year student at Kyoto University of the Arts / Chiharu Yamada, 2nd year student at the Professional University of Information Management and Innovation / Kisei Ishii, 1st year student at Musashino Art University