Yokohama Mayor Takeharu Yamanaka has become the first municipal leader in the Asia-Pacific region to speak at Sustainability Week Asia 2026, a high-level international conference hosted by Economist Impact which is part of The Economist Group.

Invited to join a panel discussion alongside senior government officials and business leaders, Mayor Yamanaka presented Yokohama’s approach to circular urban development, known as the “Yokohama Model,” highlighting how cities can drive green growth through systemic, city-wide transformation and public–private collaboration.

Mayor Yamanaka emphasized that cities play a unique role as integrated systems, connecting daily life, infrastructure, and economic activity. As Japan’s largest municipality with a population of 3.8 million, Yokohama has made green policy one of the core pillars of city governance since 2021, garnering increased international recognition.

The Mayor showcased the Minato Mirai district as a flagship example, where Yokohama is working with private partners across energy, mobility, and resource management to transform a major consumption hub into a circular urban district. Yokohama is also the first city globally to apply the Global Circularity Protocol at the municipal level