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Emiko Okuyama

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Emiko Okuyama
奥山 恵美子
Okuyama in 2015
Mayor of Sendai
In office
22 August 2009  21 August 2017
Preceded byKatsuhiko Umehara
Succeeded byKazuko Kōri
Personal details
Born (1951-06-23) 23 June 1951 (age 75)
PartyIndependent
Tohoku University

Emiko Okuyama (奥山 恵美子; born 23 June 1951) is a Japanese politician. She served as the mayor of Sendai from 2009 to 2017.

Career

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Okuyama was born in Akita City, Japan on 23 June 1951. Her father was a public official, and when Okuyama was a child he would often take her around the country with him.[1] After graduating from Tohoku University's economics department, she began working in the Sendai City town hall. She rose through many positions in the city government until being appointed the vice mayor in 2007.[2][3]

In July 2009, Okuyama ran for Sendai City mayor with the support of the Democratic Party of Japan and the Social Democratic Party of Japan. She was the first woman to become elected mayor of a major Japanese city.[4][5]

In the aftermath of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, Okuyama was recognized by the German Sustainability Award in 2012.[6] She also has spoken before the United Nations about Sendai's disaster-recovery efforts and plans to increase the city's disaster preparedness.[7]

Okuyama was re-elected on 11 August 2013, overcoming Tatsuya Kadono of the Japanese Communist Party.[8] In 2017, Okuyama decided to retire, and chose not to run for office again.[9] Although she had backed Hironori Sugahara in his campaign for the mayoral position, Kazuko Kori was elected the Mayor of Sendai instead.[10]

References

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  1. 仙台市長の奥山恵美子さんに聞く:社会って、そもそも何だろう?/社会って、そもそもなんだろう?|宮城の新聞 2015年2月14日
  2. "奥山副市長も合否連絡 仙台市教員採用合否". 河北新報. 19 July 2008. Retrieved 19 January 2012.[dead link]
  3. "PROFILE". www.women.co.jp. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  4. 奥山氏優位、岩崎氏追う 仙台市長選26日投票 『四国新聞社』 2009年7月24日、2015年12月12日閲覧
  5. 仙台市長選 『産経新聞』 2009年7月28日、2015年12月12日閲覧
  6. "奥山市長が「ドイツ持続可能賞 名誉賞」を受賞しました". 仙台市役所. 18 September 2012. Archived from the original on 21 December 2014. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  7. "Sendai mayor offers disaster lessons to U.N." The Japan Times Online. 11 July 2014. ISSN 0447-5763. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  8. "Okuyama secures second term as Sendai mayor". The Japan Times Online. 11 August 2013. ISSN 0447-5763. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  9. "〈奥山市長引退へ〉「仙台に新たな選択を」". 河北新報. 8 April 2017. Archived from the original on 9 April 2017. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
  10. 仙台市長選 郡和子氏が初当選 自公敗北、加計問題影響 - 毎日新聞(2017年7月23日発信、同年7月24日閲覧)
    [edit]
    Public Office
    Predecessor:
    Katsuhiko Umehara
    Mayor of Sendai City
    2009 – 2017
    Successor:
    Kazuko Kōri