Naomi Koshi


Naomi Koshi 2=越 直美 is a Japanese politician, lawyer, and advocate for gender equality. In 2012 she became the youngest woman elected mayor of a Japanese city. Koshi serves as the Mayor of Ōtsu, Shiga Prefecture.

Early life and education

As a child, Koshi was inspired to become a politician when her mother had to leave her job for 10 years to take care of Koshi's grandmother. The mother had no assistance from the government.
Koshi attended Shiga Prefectural Zeze High School then moved on to Hokkaido University's law department. Passing the bar exam in 2000 and became a lawyer, she worked at the Nishimura & Asahi law firm. Koshi also worked as an adjunct professor at Waseda University in 2005.
Koshi earned a master's degree in international law from Harvard University Law School in 2009. Her thesis was titled Takeover Defense in Japan. According to the City of Otsu, Koshi passed the New York State bar exam and worked for Debevoise & Plimpton LLP. Koshi was a visiting fellow at Columbia University's Center on Japanese Economy and Business from September 2010 until January 2011, while undergoing traineeship at the United Nations' legal department.

Mayorship

In 2012 Koshi was elected mayor of Ōtsu, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. She is the youngest woman to be elected as mayor of a city in Japan. During her time in office Koshi has advocated for gender equality measures that would make it easier for women to stay in the workforce after having children, such as improving access to childcare and parental leave. In 2018, Koshi and, mayor of Takarazuka, Hyogo, also pressed the Japan Sumo Association to change some of its gender-based rules after a female nurse who entered the sumo ring to conduct CPR was ordered out of the ring because only men are allowed in.
In 2015 Koshi was selected as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.

Selected bibliography

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