Japan’s youngest sitting mayor becomes first to take maternity leave
Shoko Kawata, the 35-year-old mayor of Yawata in Kyoto Prefecture, announced Thrusday she will take maternity leave this summer. According to the city, she is the first sitting mayor in Japan to do so, Jiji Press reports.
Married last December, she is expecting her first child in mid-September. Kawata plans six to eight weeks of leave before delivery and another eight weeks afterward.
“I’m surprised to learn this is the first case of a mayor taking maternity leave while in office,” she said, adding that she is making arrangements to ensure city administration and her campaign pledges continue smoothly.
During her absence, the deputy mayor will serve as acting mayor, while Kawata remains updated through online communication.
Earlier, it was reported that Japan’s tooth regrowth breakthrough is moving closer to reality.