Kōichi Shiota (塩田 康一, Shiota Kōichi, born October 15, 1965) is a Japanese politician currently serving as the governor of Kagoshima Prefecture.

[1] Shiota served in the industrial ministry for around 30 years before running as governor in the 2020 Kagoshima gubernatorial elections.

[1] His campaign focused heavily on revitalizing the local economy, emphasizing on his previous political experience.

He gained support using grassroots tactics, visiting local companies and farmers.

[3] He beat incumbent governor Satoshi Mitazono in the elections,[1][2][3] assuming office on July 28, 2020.