Lecture by Ryosuke Takashima, Mayor of Ashiya City

On Monday, June 2, 2025, we held a lecture at Akita International University Alumni Hall featuring Mr. Ryosuke Takashima, Mayor of Ashiya City, Hyogo Prefecture, on the theme of “How to Make Decisions in Life.”

Mayor Takashima, our distinguished speaker for this inaugural lecture, majored in environmental engineering at Harvard University in the United States. In 2023, at the young age of 26, he was elected Mayor of Ashiya City, becoming the youngest person ever elected to that office.

During the Q&A session, a wide range of candid questions were posed, from Mayor Takashima's perspective on topics like “Why did you choose the position of local government leader among various options?” to direct inquiries about his work as mayor. These included: “The mayor emphasizes dialogue, but how are you creating spaces where everyone can actively engage in discussion and dialogue?” “Ashiya City's education framework highlights ‘questioning skills’ and ‘AI usage skills/literacy,’ suggesting student support is essential. How are you securing and developing teachers and personnel with the skills to support students?” “Why did you choose the position of local government leader among various options?” The dialogue ranged broadly and freely, covering everything from Mr. Takashima's perspectives to direct questions about his work as mayor.

Participants shared numerous impressions: “This was a wonderful program offering a valuable experience to hear from someone we would almost certainly never meet just by staying on campus,” “During my student life, I sometimes compared myself to others and felt inferior, but hearing that it's okay not to have a big goal in life lifted a weight off my shoulders,” and “Mayor Takashima's lecture was excellent, and hearing about his actual activities and thoughts during the Q&A was truly inspiring.”