The second half of the unified local elections began on the 16th, with the announcement of the election of mayors and councilors in cities other than ordinance-designated cities and special wards of Tokyo.
For unified local elections held once every four years, 4 mayoral elections and 1 municipal and ward council elections were announced on the 16th in cities other than ordinance-designated cities and special wards of Tokyo.
Election committees in various regions have been accepting candidacies since 99:315 a.m., and according to NHK's summary, a total of 8 candidates have run for 99 mayoral elections so far.
The breakdown shows that there are 204 incumbents, 76 former mayors, and 3 newcomers. There are 125 women, or about 20%.
In the prefectural capital, five mayoral elections have been announced: Mito, Tsu, Takamatsu, Nagasaki, and Oita, and in the Nagasaki mayoral election, the incumbent mayor who served four terms has announced his retirement, and it is expected that the election will be run only by newcomers for the first time in 40 years, and four have registered their candidacy so far.
In addition, in the Oita mayoral election, there is a high possibility that no candidate will be voted in except for one newcomer who is a former member of the House of Councillors.
Meanwhile, in Tokyo's special wards, an incumbent who served five terms of 5 years in the Kita ward mayoral election and three newcomers have registered their candidacy.
In the second half of the unified local elections, amid the declining population, active debate is expected to take place on themes that are familiar to people's lives, such as policies for children and child-rearing and the revitalization of local economies.
Voting for the mayor election and the municipal and ward councilors will be held on the 4rd of this month, along with the five by-elections for the House of Representatives announced earlier and the elections for mayors and town and village councilors announced on the 16th.
Nagasaki mayoral election: Only newcomers election for the first time in 16 years
In the Nagasaki mayoral election, the incumbent Mayor Tagami, who served four terms, announced his retirement, and it will be the first time in 4 years that the election will be run only by newcomers.
The candidates were, in order of filing, both independents
: Shiro Suzuki (16),
former director of the Kyushu Transport Bureau, endorsed by the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito and supported by the People's Democratic Party, Takuya Hara, 55,
a restaurant manager, and Hirohisa Yoshitomi, 54, a former city councilor.
▽ Four of them are Yukihito Akagi, 78, a former member of the prefectural assembly.
Nagasaki City has the second highest number of "excess moveouts" among municipalities in Japan, and the outflow of population has become a serious issue, and it is expected that debate will be held in the election campaign over specific measures.
Shiro Suzuki said, "Nagasaki is facing both a crisis and an opportunity at the same time. I'm the only one who can do that. I would like each and every one of you to lend your help to realize a new Nagasaki."
Mr. Takuya Hara said, "I am convinced that realizing a city where the elderly can live with peace of mind will lead to the development of Nagasaki, and I would like to realize a city administration that reaches out to the surrounding areas of Nagasaki that have been out of reach until now and places that have been overlooked."
Hirohisa Yoshitomi said, "The first and foremost part of my policy is support for child-rearing, and all childcare fees will be free. Supplementary meals will also be made free. I would like to work with the citizens to create Nagasaki where I am glad I was born and raised in Nagasaki City."
Yukihito Akagi said, "Nagasaki today is experiencing a declining population, an increase in box goods, and a decline in industry, and Nagasaki cannot be changed unless we go back to the starting point and fight with that heart that each citizen has a letter of recommendation, rather than an election that relies on large organizations or political parties."