Mayor Suzuki was born in Hamamatsu City in 1957. After graduating from Keio University, Department of Law, he enrolled in the first class to graduate from the Matsushita Institute of Government and Management. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2000. After serving two terms in the House of Representatives, he was elected mayor of Hamamatsu City in 2007 and is currently serving his third term as mayor of the city. As an advocate city of the Council of Municipalities with a Large Foreign Population, Hamamatsu City puts emphasis on work towards its intercultural policies, including education for children of foreign residents.