The Young Mayors Award was established in 2025 to recognize Japanese mayors who demonstrate innovation, integrity, and vision in local governance. The award carries a prize of ¥1,500,000 toward a study visit to the United States and is open to mayors of cities, wards, towns, and villages across Japan under 45 years of age. By facilitating cross-border learning in areas such as urban planning, education policy, and digital governance, the award aims to bring practical, locally grounded innovation back to participating mayors' communities.
Applicants are asked to submit a CV and a self-introduction video, in English, of one to two minutes in length, through the program's application form now available on the award’s top page. In addition to achievements in local governance to date, the selection panel considers how thoughtfully applicants have identified the U.S. city they wish to visit, as well as their vision for translating what they learn into concrete action at home.
The panel comprises Toshihito Kumagai, Governor of Chiba Prefecture and former Mayor of Chiba; Charles McClean, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Yale University; and Lin Kobayashi, Co-Founder and Chair of the Board of UWC ISAK Japan and a Trustee of USJF.
The inaugural award was presented to Hiroto Fujii, mayor of Minokamo City in Gifu Prefecture. First elected in 2013 as one of Japan's youngest mayors, Fujii was recognized for steering population growth in Minokamo despite nationwide decline, advancing digital transformation, and introducing child-rearing and education programs that draw on the city's natural environment and local resources. His leadership has also been marked by an emphasis on participatory democracy and the intentional involvement of citizens in local decision-making. For an in-depth look at the award’s impact in action, Fujii's study visit to Dubuque, Iowa, is available on the USJF website.
This year’s timeline is a shift from the inaugural cycle, in which the application period ran through July 2025, the winner was announced that September, and the award ceremony was held in Tokyo that October. More information on the award, including eligibility requirements and the application process, will be available at https://www.us-jf.org/en/young-mayors-award.
For questions, please contact the United States-Japan Foundation at info@us-jf.org.