Makoto Sasaki is a city council member in Miyako City, Iwate Prefecture, and a 28-year-old politician committed to addressing social challenges through the lens of personal experience and local engagement. At age 14, she experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake and lost relatives to the tsunami, which led her to pursue disaster education. For eight years—from high school until her return to Miyako—she worked with a nonprofit organization engaged in disaster risk reduction, supporting local governments, community groups, and private-sector CSR/CSV initiatives.

At age 26, Ms. Sasaki was diagnosed with stage 4 malignant lymphoma. She underwent chemotherapy and fertility preservation treatment, becoming the first case of ovarian tissue freezing in Iwate Prefecture. Her experience brought attention to disparities in regional healthcare and the limited awareness of fertility preservation in Japan.

In 2024, at age 27, she ran in a special election for the Miyako City Council and won by a margin of over 2,000 votes, becoming the youngest council member in Iwate Prefecture. She is actively engaged in tackling unconscious bias and gender inequality, advocating as a lived-experience leader. Beyond the framework of local government, she promotes structural change through grassroots dialogue and citizen engagement.