Toma YAMAZOEPolitical figure and former mayor of Yosano

After studying architecture at the École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Paris-Malaquais, Toma Yamazoe pursued further studies in metaphysics under Professor Frédéric Nef at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS). During his time in France, he also worked as an interpreter for exhibitions in Paris and Brussels dedicated to the silk craftsmanship of the Tango region, particularly chirimen textiles.

Upon returning to Japan in 2009, he joined the Ozaki Yukio Memorial Foundation, dedicated to the promotion of democracy, and participated in its Gadō-juku program before being elected with the highest number of votes to the Yosano Town Council in 2010. In 2014, at the age of 32, he was appointed Mayor of Yosano, becoming the youngest mayor in Japan; a position he held for 12 years across three consecutive terms. He also served as the second president of the National Association of Young Mayors of Towns and Villages in Japan.