菊地豊

Yutaka Kikuchi is a Japanese politician currently serving his fifth term as the Mayor of Izu City, Shizuoka Prefecture. Born in 1958, he graduated from the National Defense Academy of Japan and served as a Ground Self-Defense Force officer, reaching the rank of Colonel. His military career included roles such as a staff officer for the United Nations Operation in Mozambique and a defense attaché at the Embassy of Japan in Germany. After retiring from the military in 2007, he briefly managed an English conversation school before being elected mayor of his hometown of Izu in 2008. He has since been re-elected four times, maintaining his leadership in the region.