Last month, 6,771 residents of Setagaya Ward cast their ballots for Orzugul, a 37-year-old ward resident, catapulting her to a seat in the local assembly.
Orzugul’s name indicates her foreign upbringing — she was born and raised in Uzbekistan and moved to Japan after she graduated from university. However, her campaign slogan reveals a deep affection for her adopted country.
Her "I love Japan, so I can’t keep quiet" slogan features prominently on her website and in social media posts, but it wasn’t conceived to appeal to voters, said Orzugul, who won her seat with the ninth-highest vote tally.