Biography:Takeharu Yamanaka
Takeharu Yamanaka | |
|---|---|
山中 竹春 | |
| head and shoulders photo of Yamanaka wearing a suit and blue tie, facing camera and looking to right of audience Yamanaka in 2024 | |
| Mayor of Yokohama | |
| Assumed office 30 August 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Fumiko Hayashi |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 27, 1972 Chichibu, Saitama, Japan |
| Political party | Independent |
| Alma mater | Waseda University (Ph.D.) |
| Occupation | Data scientist, Professor at Yokohama City University School of Medicine |
| Website | Takeharu Yamanaka OFFICIAL WEB SITE |
Takeharu Yamanaka (山中 竹春, Yamanaka Takeharu; born 27 September 1972) is a Japanese politician and current mayor of Yokohama, the capital of Kanagawa Prefecture. He defeated incumbent mayor Fumiko Hayashi in the 2021 Yokohama mayoral election.[1] His independent campaign was supported by the Constitutional Democratic Party, Social Democratic Party, and the Communist Party of Japan.[2] Yamanaka's campaign focused on the opposition for a planned integrated resort development and casino for the city which was to be built on Yamashita Pier, criticism against the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and additional sister city relationship with San Francisco, California.[3][4][5]
Yamanaka formerly worked as a professor at Yokohama City University and as a data scientist.[6][7]
On 16 January 2026, Yamanaka issued a public apology after Yokohama's human resource chief, Jun Kubota, accused Yamanaka of using terms such as "idiot" and "human scum" to disparage staff.[8]
References
- ↑ "Exit polls show ally of Japan's Suga losing Yokohama election, NHK says" (in en). 23 August 2021. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/yokohama-mayor-election-seen-bellwether-japan-pm-suga-2021-08-22/.
- ↑ Johnston, Eric (22 August 2021). "In major blow to Suga, opposition party-backed Takeharu Yamanaka wins Yokohama mayoral election". https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/08/22/national/politics-diplomacy/takeharu-yamanaka-yokohama/.
- ↑ "Yokohama Mayor Poll Result May Affect Japan's IR Future" (in en). 23 August 2021. https://www.nippon.com/en/news/yjj2021082200413/yokohama-mayor-poll-result-may-affect-japan's-ir-future.html.
- ↑ "Anti-IR campaigner Takeharu Yamanaka wins Yokohama mayoral election" (in en). 22 August 2021. https://www.asgam.com/index.php/2021/08/22/anti-ir-campaigner-takeharu-yamanaka-wins-yokohama-mayoral-election/.
- ↑ Adachi, Yushin. "Casino resort ups the ante in Yokohama mayoral race | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis" (in en). https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14419539.
- ↑ "Japan PM Suga regrets opposition win in Yokohama mayor election". https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/08/0343abda272d-urgent-suga-regrets-opposition-win-in-yokohama-mayor-election.html.
- ↑ "Suga suffers blow as LDP-backed candidate loses Yokohama poll". https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Suga-suffers-blow-as-LDP-backed-candidate-loses-Yokohama-poll.
- ↑ "Japanese mayor apologises after calling staff 'human scum'". BBC. January 18, 2026. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czejwl2z80lo.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Fumiko Hayashi |
Mayor of Yokohama 2021–present |
Incumbent |
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