On February 19th, Fukuoka city announced the city retired Shinoda Mariko from the ward mayor role for the city’s virtual administrative district “Kawaii-ku” (Kawaii-ward).
The city has received 4 complaints from it’s citizens over the last 2 months of 2012.
The complaints claim:
“Encouraging Kawaii(cute) women hinders women’s social independence and empowerment.”
“This enhances gender discrimination.”
Earlier this year Mayor Takashima ordered city’s Council for Gender Equality to discuss the measures for the issue.
The city’s public relation office, on 15th, said that they asked Shinoda’s side to step aside from the ward mayor’s job explaining they figured that they shouldn’t let Shinoda get involved in trouble stemmed from the discussion (on gender equality) that has nothing to do with her.
Currently 40,000 people registered as residents of Kawaii-ward, and the city has planned to preserve the ward. Shinoda, who was born in Fukuoka, was named the ward mayor in August last year, and had served the office without any compensation.