Seiji Maehara
Seiji Maehara represents Kyoto's No. 2 electoral district, a cultural cornucopia where in some ways he could be considered an outsider.
Although he was born in the city, by local standards he is not considered a true Kyoto native because three generations of his family haven't lived there. Maehara's parents were both from Tottori Prefecture, and to add further stigma, his childhood was touched by tragedy when his father committed suicide.
Maehara was a gifted student, however, and graduated from Kyoto University, where he studied international politics under professors who strongly supported the Japan-U.S. security treaty. He later became the ruling Democratic Party of Japan's staunchest defender of the alliance and is highly thought of by U.S. policymakers.