Welcome to the Office of the Mayor

Kizo Hisamoto was born in February 1954 in Hyogo Ward of Kobe City. He enrolled in Kawaike Elementary School and graduated Obu Elementary School, then attended Yamada Junior High School (all Kobe municipal schools). After attending Nada High School, he graduated from the University of Tokyo’s Faculty of Law in March 1976.
Hisamoto joined the former Ministry of Home Affairs in the same year. He worked in the ministry’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency, the former National Land Agency, and the Cabinet Secretariat. He also worked in the local governments in Ishikawa, Aomori, and Kyoto Prefectures, as well as Sapporo City.

In the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, he served as a Director for various divisions, including the Local Administration Division of the Local Administration Bureau; Deputy Director-General in charge of local administration, local civil service systems, and elections; and Executive Director of the Election Department. He also served as Director-General of the Local Administration Bureau from July 2008 to September 2012.

November 2012: Vice Mayor of Kobe City
October2013: First elected as Mayor of Kobe City, and appointed the 16th Mayor of Kobe in November
October 2017 & October 2021: Reelected with the highest number of votes in history. Currently on his third term.