Daisaku Kadokawa

Daisaku Kadokawa, known as an advocate for the environment at the local, national and international level, has served as mayor of Kyoto since 2008. Easily identifiable due to his preference for wearing a kimono, he is a mayor of contrasts – widely recognized for both his role as a proponent of Kyoto traditions and his modernization of the local economy. Now in his third term, he has overseen an explosion in visitor numbers, with over 55 million tourists making the trek to the former imperial capital of Japan in 2014 – many of them from overseas. Kadokawa has prioritized the dual challenges of global warming and climate change, only partly because the UN Kyoto Protocol was signed in the ancient city. He is also chair of the ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability regional executive committee for East Asia and representative of Japan, a role that gives him the opportunity to amplify his message on the urgent need to repair ecosystems. He began life in Kyoto in 1950, graduating from the city’s Ritsumeikan University. The city, which has a population of about 1.5 million people.