Wakayama Gov. Kishimoto Dies at 68 after Being Taken to Hospital

Jiji Press

16:26 JST, April 16, 2025

WAKAYAMA (Jiji Press) – Shuhei Kishimoto, governor of Wakayama Prefecture, died of septic shock at a hospital in Wakayama on Tuesday morning. He was 68.

According to the Wakayama prefectural government, Kishimoto received treatment at the hospital after he was found collapsed in his bedroom at around 10:15 a.m. Monday by officials who went to his official residence in the city as they could not reach him.

Kishimoto visited the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka on Sunday.

A native of the city of Wakayama, he was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2009, after serving as head of a Finance Ministry division.

As a lawmaker, he took such key posts as parliamentary vice minister of economy, trade and industry.

He resigned as a lower house member during his fifth term to run in a Wakayama gubernatorial election in 2022. He won the election with recommendations from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and the Democratic Party for the People, also an opposition party, and was in his first term as governor.

The public offices election law stipulates that in the event of the death of a governor, a gubernatorial election shall be held within 50 days of the notification of the death to the prefectural election commission.