Japan’s by-elections this week have seen a number of diverse new faces thrust into the national spotlight.

Most members of Japan’s parliament are aged 50 to 70 – and are 75% male, according to data from the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

Making headlines is Ryosuke Takashima who, at 26 years old, is Japan’s youngest-ever mayor, according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK. He graduated last year from Harvard University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering.

The country’s previous youngest mayor had been Kotaro Shishida, elected in 1994 at the age of 27, NHK reported.

Takashima had campaigned on green infrastructure planning, promising to create more public spaces and parks, as well as reforms in education, childcare and youth healthcare. He will begin serving as mayor of Ashiya City in Hyogo Prefecture on May 1. 

Then there’s the 26-year-old YouTuber who ran his campaign for Hiratsuka City Council – and won – under the official name “Shin the Hiratsuka YouTuber.”

Shin also runs a Pokemon card store but is best known for his YouTube channel, where he makes videos about local shops and events in the city; his most popular video reviews 10 recommended ramen shops in Hiratsuka.

Another high-profile name this election season is 34-year-old Arfiya Eri, whose parents are Uyghur and Uzbek, and who has advocated for greater women’s rights and gender equality.

With her election to Japan’s Lower House, Eri is the first woman of Uyghur descent to be elected to any parliament in the world, according to the World Uyghur Congress, which called her victory significant for the Uyghur Japanese community and the global Uyghur diaspora.