Campaigning Begins for Hyogo Gov. Election in Western Japan

Jiji Press

17:35 JST, October 31, 2024

Kobe, Oct. 31 (Jiji Press) — The official campaign period  started on Thursday for the Nov. 17 gubernatorial election in western Japan prefecture of Hyogo following the effective ouster of former Governor Motohiko Saito.

The focus is how to rebuild the prefectural administration, thrown into confusion because of Saito’s alleged problematic behavior including bullying of subordinates.

A record seven candidates applied to run in the election, exceeding five in the previous election in 2021, when Saito won his first term. The seven include Saito, who is seeking to return to office.

Among other candidates are Takayuki Shimizu, 50, a former lawmaker of the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the country’s parliament, as well as Kazumi Inamura, 52, former mayor of Amagasaki in Hyogo, and Japanese Communist Party-backed doctor Yoshikiyo Osawa, 61.

The other three are company president Shigeyuki Fukumoto, 58, Takashi Tachibana, 57, leader of political organization NHK Party, and company president Hirotsugu Kijima, 49.

All ages of the candidates, including Saito, 47, are as of the day of the Nov. 17 election.

The Liberal Democratic Party chose not to field its own candidate. Some of the LDP’s Hyogo prefectural assembly members support Inamura, as does a group including Hyogo assembly members of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan.

Shimizu has support from Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party), of which he was a member.

In September, the Hyogo assembly unanimously passed a no-confidence motion against Saito, who lost his job without taking action to counter the motion.

The term for the new governor will be four years, even if Saito wins.