Maebashi Assembly Approves Resignation Letter Submitted by Mayor Hit by Scandal Over Hotel Visits

The Yomiuri Shimbun

20:48 JST, November 27, 2025

MAEBASHI — A letter of resignation submitted by the scandal-hit mayor of Maebashi was unanimously approved by the municipal assembly on Thursday.

The online edition of a weekly magazine reported in late September that Maebashi Mayor Akira Ogawa had visited hotels with a married subordinate. The 42-year-old mayor later confirmed the visits and apologized but denied that their relationship was romantic in nature.

In mid-October, Ogawa said she would continue serving as mayor. However, the assembly demanded that she resign, saying the scandal had caused serious turmoil and stagnation in the administrative work of the city.

The assembly had said that if Ogawa would not resign on her own, it would submit a no-confidence motion against the mayor on Thursday. Ogawa submitted her letter of resignation on Tuesday.

“I appreciate the cooperation that you have extended in promoting various measures and projects [for Maebashi],” Ogawa said to members of the assembly ahead of Thursday’s vote. “I sincerely hope that you will engage in constructive debate for the future of Maebashi.”