Ito Mayor Takubo: Where Is The Sense of Responsibility of Those Holding Public Office?

Editorial

14:50 JST, October 21, 2025

Given the results of the city assembly election, it is simply impossible to believe that the incumbent mayor can regain the trust of the people and continue to steer municipal affairs. Stepping down immediately would be the proper course of action.

A city assembly election was held in Ito, Shizuoka Prefecture, following the dissolution of the assembly by Mayor Maki Takubo.

The assembly unanimously passed a no-confidence motion in September against Takubo, who allegedly falsified her academic background by claiming to be a graduate of Toyo University. Refusing to resign, Takubo dissolved the assembly, asserting that “passing the no-confidence motion halted the assembly’s deliberations.”

Out of the 20 seats contested in the election, only one candidate who supports Takubo was elected. The remaining 19 elected members campaigned for her resignation.

These 19 members plan to submit another no-confidence motion to the extraordinary session of the assembly to be convened soon. Under the Local Government Law, if a no-confidence motion against a mayor is passed twice, that mayor is automatically removed from office. This situation makes it difficult for Takubo to remain in her position.

Heads of local governments have the authority to dissolve assemblies. However, this power is intended to be used when the head of the local government and the assembly are in conflict over policy or budget matters.

A dissolution triggered by an issue related to Takubo herself — the falsification of her academic record — can only be seen as an abuse of power.

The voter turnout for the city assembly election was 59.22%, exceeding the previous 2023 election by over 10 percentage points. This can be said to reflect the high level of interest among voters.

Apart from Ito, there have also been notable other cases recently that raise doubts about the sense of responsibility and judgment of certain people in public office.

The mayor of Nanjo, Okinawa Prefecture, was urged to resign by a third-party committee of the city for alleged sexual harassment of female city staffers. The city assembly passed a no-confidence motion against the mayor, but the mayor dissolved the assembly.

The female mayor of Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture, was found to have repeatedly met with a married male employee at a hotel under the guise of meetings. Despite the mayor’s assertion that there was no sexual relationship, phones at the city office have kept ringing with calls from citizens expressing dissatisfaction, reportedly disrupting operations.

The increase in the number of cases in which local government leaders are clinging to office may be influenced by the case of Hyogo Gov. Motohiko Saito. Last year, Saito was hit with a no-confidence motion by the prefectural assembly over a whistleblowing issue. He chose to be automatically removed from the office, only to be re-elected in a subsequent gubernatorial election.

The growing trend in which gaining support on social media can provide a tailwind for staying in office is not normal.

The turmoil caused in Hyogo prefectural politics by the issue of a whistleblower has yet to subside. A makeshift measure may prove effective for the time being, but it will not last long.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, October 21, 2025)