Yosuke Tanaka, City Council member protecting Yasu City: "Love is 'continuing to show people the back of someone who lives joyfully.'"

Listening to Mr. Tanaka, I feel that he is less of a politician and more of a "community builder" through and through.

Agriculture, dining, distribution, farmers' markets, and city council.
What is consistent in all of them is the question: How can I create a space where people can take initiative?

Looking at the "flow" rather than "correctness"

When I was young, I was strongly attracted to natural farming and organic practices.
But now, I don't see those as absolute truths.

"After coming full circle, I’ve learned to be grateful for everything."

Using pesticides or not.
Organic or not.
What matters is not the label, but what kind of choices you make, and with what intention.

Extreme righteousness binds people.
Mr. Tanaka knows this from personal experience.

Love is born from the realization that you "have been given so much"

Looking back,
he says he has always been helped by others.

Family, friends, the community.
It's not just about money,
Mr. Tanaka laughs, noting he has been given so much time, trust, and breathing room.

"That’s why I think it’s my turn to give back."

It’s not words that you give to children

Mr. Tanaka says that "raising children," in his view,
is not about teaching them things.

"It's just about showing them your back as you live happily."

It doesn't have to be stable.
It's okay to take the long way around.
You can do what you love and still get by.

Showing that is the love you can give, starting with yourself.

Toward a "town where you can" rather than a "town that does it for you"

This is the vision Mr. Tanaka has for Yasu.

Not a town where someone does things for you, but a town that supports those who raise their hands to do something.

The Mangetsu Marche, the plan to put a piano in front of the station—
everything is an extension of that experiment.

He doesn't force people to get involved.
Those who don't want to don't have to.
How people get involved and how much passion they bring is up to them.

Even so, he wants to make the town an environment where those who do want to act can easily get support. He wants to make Yasu a town where it's easy to make what you want to do a reality.

Love is believing in people's autonomy

For Mr. Tanaka, I felt that love might be:

"Believing in people's ability to find joy for themselves."

Politics, community development, and parenting—
they are all connected.

If there are more happy, engaged adults, the town naturally becomes a more interesting place.

Today, too, Mr. Tanaka continues to stand in the town of Yasu,
showing that "happy back" to those around him.