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Local Government

Citizen engagement top priority for Yokohama Mayor

By Kelly Ng | 6 July 2010

Citizen engagement, economic growth and quality of life are the key ingredients to a successful city, Fumiko Hayashi, Mayor of Yokohama, Japan told FutureGov in an interview.

While Hayashi said she believed in the importance of an online presence, she preferred conventional face-to-face interaction when it comes to citizen engagement.

Citizen engagement

“People in Yokohama do not just think with our heads, but with our hearts. Words on a screen sometimes do not put my intentions across accurately, so I really treasure meeting citizens in person,” said Hayashi. Since she was elected Mayor last August (2009), she has visited more than 100 places, including universities, nursing homes, facilities for the handicap, and schools.

To reach net-savvy citizens, the city manages a web site which provides information on policy, processes, and news. The English version is customised for foreign residents and businesses, with content such as immigration and emergency procedures, and guides on living and investing in Yokohama. “I do not have a personal blog at this moment, but the progress of my work is updated on the web site,” she added.

Hayashi emphasised the importance of a mayor to be close to citizens. She felt that women are suitable for such a role. “Unfortunately, only 1.5 per cent of mayors in Japan are female,” commented Hayashi, who was the first female mayor of Yokohama, the country’s second largest city with a population of 3.67 million.

The secrets of a city’s success

The “two wheels of a successful city” according to Hayashi are economic growth and quality of life. The city government needs a growth strategy which involves the collaboration of three parties – the private sector, universities and the public sector. The mayor’s role is to make sure that there is cooperation and progress.

A major component of improving the living condition is ‘green growth’. The development of the city must not have a negative impact on the environment. “For example, Yokohama successfully reduced 41 per cent of its waste through proper management, which involved sorting and recycling,” said Hayashi. “This resulted in cost savings of 110 billion yen (US$ 1.25 billion).”

One of Yokohama’s key challenges is its ageing population. At the moment, 20 per cent of its residents are over 65 years old. That percentage is expected to rise to 28.7 percent by 2030. In order to attract younger people to move to the city, it has to become a vibrant and fun place to live, study and work. “We are investing a lot in education to nurture the next generation. On top of that, we are encouraging women to return to the workforce after having children,” she added.

The journey to becoming a vibrant, successful city is not an easy one. Hayashi highlighted the importance of working with other cities to share best practices. Its eight sister cities currently includes three Asian cities - Manila, Shanghai, and Mumbai.

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