Ohkura Village
Masami Kato

Became a village headman ten years ago. He demonstrated leadership since his youth and had extra affection for the Ohkura Village than anybody else, such as serving as head of the youth organization and village activities. The Mayor Kato’s driving force with motto “friendly, kind and polite” response is in the overflowing “love”.

“Welcome”. Because the village office is equal to the hospitality industry.

The first thing I did is reforming the office. “Village office = Service business”. So, we greet customers with our bow with a feeling of “Welcome”. And I asked the staff to provide response to convey the feeling of “Thank you”. More than anything, I wanted to make the inside of the office fresh, bright and warm. After trying to positively greet in the office building and ensuring to respond “gentle, kind and polite”, I was happy when a person who came from outside said “It is a bright and lively office”.
One thing that I started as a village headman is the participation for funeral of all the villagers. Of course, it is important that they were born in this world, but I love the Ohkura Village as a villager and I'd like to send the person who was linked by fate and lived here, with a feeling of “Otsukaresama (expression of appreciation)” when they leave this world. In the election, there was also an opposition’s “lingering sense”, but it was NO SIDE when it was over. To try to integrate the village, I started to show myself that attitude.
the Ohkura Village is the smallest municipality in Yamagata prefecture, with a population of about 3,400, but we do not need to discredit ourselves because it is small, since there is something that can be done because it is small, so I want them to work with confidence and pride. I maintain to convey so to the staff.
Although measures to increase new comer are flourishing, before we get them to move into, I feel the need to upgrade the way of thinking of acceptance side. To make a village so that people say “they like this village” or “this village is nice”. To that end, I feel that it is important to train children and young people with confidence and pride in the community.

Interviewed in July, 2017
Writer : Hideko Takahashi / Photographer : Hiroyuki Tamura