Takashima Ryosuke is Japan’s youngest ever mayor

Mr Takashima has set the record as the youngest mayor in Japan. He stands out in a country with a gerontocratic government. When Kishida Fumio, Japan’s prime minister, reshuffled his cabinet in September last year, the average age of its incoming members was 64. Across politics, younger people are under-represented: in 2022, the share of national politicians aged 40 and under was 6%, compared with 29% in Germany and 22% in Britain. Low voter turnout among the youth has also worried policymakers; just over 30% of people in their 20s vote in elections, compared with 70% of those in their 60s.