Yogi in socio-politics 

• Name: Yogi (Yogendra Puranik)

• Origin: Born on 03 June 1977 near Mumbai, India; migrated to Japan in 2003; naturalized in 2012

• Family: Father Sharad (passed away in 2009); Mother Rekha (entrepreneur in Tokyo); Son Chinmay works at an IT company in Tokyo

• Study abroad: Scholarships to study in Japan in 1997 and 1999; in China in 2005; in France in 2012

• Education: Diploma in Software Engineering; Adv. Diploma in Japanese; Bachelor's in Economics; Master's in Economics & Management; PhD Foundation in Strategic Project Management; Honorary PhD in Sociology

• Work experience: Senior positions at Global IT companies & Japanese Banks; Member of the Legislative Assembly in Japan, Public School Principal in Japan;  Head of Education DX Team at the Government of Ibaraki

• Representations: Advisor to Innovation Fusion Society of Japan (IFSC); Advisor to International Economics Research Institute (IERI); Advisor for Educational Initiatives of the Cultural Agency of Japan; President of All-Japan Association of Indians (AJAI)

• Hobbies: Volunteering, Public speaking, Writing, Biking, Sports 

• Interests: Regional Economy, Educational Reform, Digital Transformation in Public Administration, Community Welfare, Multicultural Coexistence, International Exchange, International Business Management, and Leadership. 

Start with the People 

Listen to residents, businesses, educators, healthcare professionals, and welfare providers to identify community challenges.

Use Data and Experience 

Analyze problems and solutions using statistics, government data, domestic and international examples, and firsthand experience.

Assess Funding and Feasibility 

Examine costs, administrative authority, coordination with relevant organizations, and implementation procedures.

Evaluate and Improve 

Policy implementation is not the final goal. Evaluate outcomes, identify shortcomings, and continuously improve policies.

After 2001 | Settling in Japan

I first came to Japan in 2001 as a working professional, supporting ERP implementation at a Japanese manufacturing company. In 2002, I returned to India for the birth of our child and to learn Indian parenting practices. In 2003, I returned to Japan as a single father, raising my child while developing software for retail, business management, and other industries. I changed houses whenever my client assignments changed and experienced the challenges of waiting lists for childcare.

After 2005 | Community Activities

I began supporting foreign residents in Japan by providing daily-life information, Japanese language education, guidance on social and business etiquette, and disaster preparedness. I also organized community events, including summer festivals, mochi-making gatherings, the Nishi-Kasai Diwali Festival, and cooking classes. To date, I have organized over 200 community events, promoting mutual understanding and resolving local conflicts.

March 2011 | The Great East Japan Earthquake

Following the earthquake and nuclear disaster on March 11, 2011, I visited every household in my residential complex overnight, helping residents reposition furniture and restore gas and water services. I subsequently visited disaster-affected areas several times to volunteer, organized fundraising activities, and delivered essential supplies.

April 2019 Onward | Edogawa City Assembly Member, Tokyo

As a local assembly member, I addressed community challenges and administrative governance. Drawing on smart city concepts, I advocated administrative reform and stronger disaster preparedness. I promoted two- and three-dimensional data analysis and stakeholder analysis in policymaking. My initiatives helped achieve improvements such as expanding childcare facilities and providing a fully automated wheelchair to an ALS patient.

Sep-Oct 2019 | Devastating Typhoons in Japan

During Japan’s devastating 2019 typhoons, especially Typhoon Hagibis, I shared multilingual emergency information, offered round-the-clock assistance, visited evacuation centers to assess conditions, supported affected residents, and submitted recommendations to improve disaster preparedness, evacuation facilities, and emergency response systems.

2020-2021 | COVID Pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I supported vulnerable residents and foreign communities by sharing multilingual health information, coordinating essential assistance, helping people navigate government support programs, and addressing urgent concerns. I helped more than 400 people get entry into Japan.

April 2022 Onward | Educational Administration and School Leadership

In Ibaraki Prefecture, I worked on school management, inquiry-based learning, educational DX, and improving teachers' working conditions. Invited by boards of education across ten prefectures, I advocated comprehensive educational reform to approximately 1,500 school principals. During my tenure as principal, I delivered lectures to a cumulative audience of 30,000 students and parents on global competitiveness and character development.

2001–2019 | Private Sector Experience

I gained experience from frontline operations to executive management in global IT companies, manufacturing, and finance. Across these industries, I implemented process reforms that delivered tangible improvements.

Sharing Perspectives on Community and Social Challenges

I actively share ideas on education, the economy, administrative reform, and multicultural coexistence through lectures, publications, and community engagement. To date, I have delivered lectures to more than 50,000 people at government ministries, municipal offices, universities, schools, businesses, and other organizations.

Yogi entered Japanese politics in 2019 and won his first election to the Edogawa City Assembly in Tokyo in April of that year. He became the first person of Indian origin and the first foreign-born person of color to be elected to public office in Japan. Since 2005, he has worked tirelessly to promote diversity and inclusion in local communities, dedicating himself to social service. His unwavering commitment and determination paved the way for his remarkable journey in public service.