Former Finance Ministry bureaucrat Masanao Ozaki was elected Nov. 25 as governor of Kochi Prefecture and will replace the reformist Daijiro Hashimoto, who is stepping down after 16 years in office.

Masanao Ozaki KYODO PHOTO

At 40 years old, Ozaki will be the youngest governor in the nation, beating Iwate Gov. Takuya Tasso by three years.

"A lot of people are wishing to do something with Kochi," Ozaki said after his victory. "I'd like to join forces with those people and work in the forefront."

Ozaki was backed by the ruling and opposition camps, including the Liberal Democratic Party, New Komeito, the Social Democratic Party and the local chapter of the Democratic Party of Japan.