Kayako Kobayashi is a highly experienced former municipal assembly member of Yufu-city in Kyushu for 14years, who has made numerous contributions to administrative and policy reforms, policy proposals, and the enactment of local ordinances, including on renewable energy development.  She is a Counsellor to the Academic Society of Local Government, with excellent local government networks throughout Japan, and has served as a specialist in administrative planning in Kyushu and as an administrative adviser to a municipality in Shizuoka Prefecture.  Kayako has been awarded the national prize (The 1st Manifesto Award) for best policy proposal by an expert committee, and was selected as Nikkei Woman’s Woman of the Year in 2008.  

She earned a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from the Graduate School of Kumamoto University in Kyushu and graduated from Waseda University’s Faculty of Literature and Japan Women’s University in English.