Abolish the city of Osaka and merge it into the capital of Osaka? Osaka citizens voted against

　　The citizens of Osaka, Japan vote against the abolition of Osaka

　　Xinhua News Agency, Tokyo, November 1st (Reporter Guo Dan Jiang Qiaomei) On the 1st, citizens of Osaka, Japan, voted on whether to support the "Osaka Metropolis Concept" that "abolish Osaka City and merge into Osaka Metropolis".

Statistics show that more than half of the citizens of Osaka who voted opposed the "abolition of the city of Osaka and its integration into the city of Osaka." The "Osaka Metropolis Concept" was rejected again and the city of Osaka would continue to exist.

　　According to data released by the Osaka Municipal Election Management Committee that evening, there are a total of 2,205,700 Osaka citizens who have voting rights, and the actual turnout rate was 62.35%.

Data shows that more than half of the citizens who voted opposed "abolishing the city of Osaka and incorporating it into the city of Osaka."

　　The representative of the Osaka Restoration Council and the Mayor of Osaka Matsui Ichiro said at a press conference held that evening that he is willing to bear responsibility for the failure of the "Osaka Metropolitan Concept" again and will withdraw from politics after the mayor's term ends in 2023.

　　The "Osaka Metropolitan Concept" intends to follow the example of Tokyo and merge the current 24 jurisdictions of Osaka City into a number of special districts under the management of Osaka Prefecture, thereby eliminating the dual administrative setup of the prefecture and the city and enhancing economic vitality.

In May 2015, the "Osaka Metropolis Concept" plan to reorganize the city of Osaka into five special districts was rejected in a resident vote, and the then mayor of Osaka Hashishita retired from politics.

　　On October 12 this year, the Osaka City Electoral Management Committee issued a "Osaka Metropolitan Concept" resident vote announcement stating that the residents of Osaka City will vote on November 1 whether to support the abolition of Osaka City in 2025.

The "Osaka Metropolitan Concept" plan proposes to abolish the city of Osaka in five years and establish four special districts, namely, "Yodogawa District," "North District," "Chuo District," and "Tennoji District."

According to the "Agreement on the Establishment of Special Districts" approved by Osaka Prefecture and the City of Osaka a few days ago, the special districts will provide residents with education, welfare and other services, and the wide-area administrative functions of the original Osaka City will be unified by Osaka Prefecture.