2015 Japanese unified local elections

18th unified local elections The first stage of the 18th unified local elections 第18回統一地方選挙 dai-jūhachi-kai tōitsu chihō senkyo in Japan took place on April 12, 2015. The Liberal Democratic Party under leadership of Shinzo Abe was the overall victor, winning many races including all ten gubernatorial racesHongo Jun Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party Prevails in Japan’s Local Elections https://www.wsj.com/articles/abes-liberal-democratic-party-prevails-in-japans-local-elections-1428842615 13 April 2015 The Wall Street Journal 12 April 2015 and 1,153 of the 2,284 assembly seats at stake.Obe Mitsuru Japan Regional Polls See Record Low Turnout https://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2015/04/13/japan-regional-polls-see-record-low-turnout/?mod=WSJBlog 14 April 2015 The Wall Street Journal Japan Real Time 13 April 2015 Further elections for municipal mayors and assemblies took place on April 26.2015統一地方選 http://www.asahi.com/senkyo/local2015/ The Asahi Shimbun 13 April 2015 In addition to indicating support for the Abe government, the elections were also seen as a referendum on the Japan Innovation Party, and particularly on Osaka mayor Toru Hashimoto's plan to restructure the Osaka prefectural government.LDP-backed governors win in Hokkaido, Oita, giving boost to Abe http://asia.nikkei.com/Politics-Economy/Policy-Politics/LDP-backed-governors-win-in-Hokkaido-Oita-giving-boost-to-Abe 13 April 2015 Nikkei Asian Review Kyodo 13 April 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150413200340/http://asia.nikkei.com/Politics-Economy/Policy-Politics/LDP-backed-governors-win-in-Hokkaido-Oita-giving-boost-to-Abe 13 April 2015 dead In the first stage, average turnout was estimated at 47.14%, the lowest in the history of Japanese unified elections and the first time that average turnout in unified elections fell below 50%. The total number of prefectural and designated city assembly candidates was also the lowest in history at 3,272, 501 of which (21.9% of seats) ran unopposed.統一地方選前半、投票率過去最低に http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXLASFS12H1G_S5A410C1NN1000/ 13 April 2015 Nihon Keizai Shimbun 13 April 2015 The Democratic Party of Japan fielded 345 candidates, 40% less than the number fielded in the 2011 local elections.All 10 ruling coalition-backed incumbents re-elected in governor races http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/politics/AJ201504120033 13 April 2015 The Asahi Shimbun 12 April 2015 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20150713054030/http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/politics/AJ201504120033 13 July 2015 Chiba Prefecture had the lowest overall turnout rate at 37%. In the second stage, a record low 9,519 candidates ran for 7,682 seats, and a record high 3.6% of assembly seats were won by default. Results Governors PrefecturePartyCandidateVotes%Fukui PrefectureIndependentIssei Nishikawa242,54480.4Communist PartyYukie Kanemoto59,11519.6Fukuoka PrefectureIndependentHiroshi Ogawa1,260,40581.6IndependentTomikazu Goto284,69218.4HokkaidoIndependentHarumi Takahashi1,496,91556.6IndependentNoriyuki Sato1,146,57343.4Kanagawa PrefectureIndependentYuji Kuroiwa2,195,76476.7IndependentHajime Okamoto665,75123.3Mie PrefectureIndependentEikei Suzuki603,69785.7IndependentShinichi Fuji100,86014.3Nara PrefectureIndependentShōgo Arai283,43250.2IndependentMakoto Yamashita227,68740.3Communist PartyKazuhiro Tanigawa39,1276.9IndependentTakahiko Iwasaki14,9032.6Ōita PrefectureIndependentKatsusada Hirose342,58362.2IndependentBan Kugimiya178,27732.4Communist PartyKai Yamashita26,2144.8IndependentTakaaki Miisako2,0910.4IndependentYatsuo Ikezaki1,8550.3Shimane PrefectureIndependentZenbee Mizoguchi268,28480.5Communist PartyHiromi Bandai65,08819.5Tokushima PrefectureIndependentKamon Iizumi201,36480.2Communist PartyMichiyo Furata49,56219.8Tottori PrefectureIndependentShinji Hirai234,29188.8IndependentNaoyuki Iwanaga29,42511.2Source: Yomiuri Shimbun Hokkaido: Incumbent Harumi Takahashi (LDP) defeated DPJ-supported television anchor Noriyuki Sato in one of two gubernatorial races contested between the government and opposition parties. Kanagawa Prefecture: Yuji Kuroiwa (LDP/NKP/DPJ) re-elected Fukui Prefecture: Issei Nishikawa (LDP/NKP/DPJ) re-elected Mie Prefecture: Eikei Suzuki (LDP/NKP) re-elected Nara Prefecture: Shōgo Arai (LDP/NKP/DPJ) re-elected Tottori Prefecture: Shinji Hirai (LDP/NKP/DPJ) re-elected Shimane Prefecture: Zenbee Mizoguchi (LDP/NKP) re-elected Tokushima Prefecture: Kamon Iizumi (LDP/NKP/DPJ) re-elected Fukuoka Prefecture: Hiroshi Ogawa (LDP/NKP/DPJ/JIP/SDP) re-elected Oita Prefecture: Incumbent Katsusada Hirose (LDP/NKP) defeated DPJ-supported ex-Oita City mayor Ban Kugimiya. 2015 was the first year that Tokyo did not elect a governor in the unified elections, as the elections in 2012 (following Shintaro Ishihara's resignation) and 2014 (following Naoki Inose's resignation) moved Tokyo's gubernatorial election cycle away from the unified election cycle. Mayoral elections Sapporo: Former deputy mayor Katsuhiro Akimoto (DPJ/JIP/SDP) defeated LDP-supported ex-government official Nana Honma in one of the few significant victories for the opposition bloc. Akimoto was supported by 12-year incumbent mayor Fumio Ueda and called for improving the city's attractiveness to businesses, while Honma advocated new infrastructure investments including an expansion of the municipal subway system.札幌市長、秋元氏が初当選　12年ぶり新市長 http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXLASFB08HAV_S5A410C1000000/ 13 April 2015 Nihon Keizai Shimbun 12 April 2015 Sagamihara: Toshio Kayama (LDP/NKP/DPJ) re-elected Shizuoka: Nobuhiro Tanabe (LDP/NKP/DPJ) re-elected Hamamatsu: Yasutomo Suzuki (independent) re-elected Hiroshima: Kazumi Matsui (LDP/NKP/DPJ) re-elected The mayoral election in Nagasaki was uncontested for the first time in history, while the mayoral election in Tsu was uncontested for the first time in 37 years.統一地方選 市区長・市区議選告示 http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20150419/k10010053511000.html 19 April 2015 NHK 19 April 2015 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20150420020423/http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20150419/k10010053511000.html 20 April 2015 In Shibuya, Tokyo, Ken Hasebe won the open contest for mayor following the retirement of Toshitake Kuwahara. Hasebe had previously submitted Shibuya's local ordinance permitting same-sex civil unions as an assembly member.Otake Tomoko Unified elections help diversify representation in Tokyo http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/04/27/national/politics-diplomacy/unified-elections-help-diversify-representation-tokyo/#.VT7tHtKqqko 28 April 2015 Japan Times 27 April 2015 Assembly elections The Osaka Restoration Association maintained its top position in both the Osaka Prefecture and Osaka City assemblies. However, it failed to win a majority in either assembly, and the LDP won additional seats in both assemblies, casting some doubt on the outcome of the scheduled May 17 referendum on the Osaka Metropolis plan.大阪維新、府・市議選で第１党は維持　都構想への賛否拮抗 http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXLASFS12H25_S5A410C1MM8000/ 13 April 2015 Nihon Keizai Shimbun 13 April 2015 Two incumbents tied for an open seat in the Kumamoto City assembly with 4,515 votes each; the seat was to be decided by drawing lots.成田 太昭 熊本市議選、南区で得票同数　１４日に当選者くじ引きに http://www.asahi.com/articles/ASH4F3J58H4FTLVB001.html?iref=com_alist_6_03 13 April 2015 The Asahi Shimbun 13 April 2015 Chiyoda, Tokyo perennial candidate Teruki Gotō drew attention in international media by posing nude in his official election poster, with the characters of his name obscuring his genitals and with various nationalist icons in the background. The poster was deemed legal under both election and obscenity laws.Osumi Magdalena Right-wing candidate’s nude campaign poster skirts election law http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/04/23/national/politics-diplomacy/right-wing-candidates-nude-campaign-poster-skirts-election-law/#.VT7sI9Kqqko 28 April 2015 Japan Times 23 April 2015 Two deaf women were elected to city assemblies: Rie Saito of Kita, Tokyo and Atsuko Yanetani of Akashi, Hyogo. They are the second and third deaf legislators in Japanese history (after Sumie Sakurai who served on the assembly of Hakuba, Nagano from 2001 to 2005). The Kita assembly was reportedly considering using speech recognition software to allow Saito to participate in debate, while the Akashi assembly was considering hiring a sign language interpreter.2 hearing-impaired women win assembly seats in Sunday’s polls http://www.the-japan-news.com/news/article/0002110663 https://archive.today/20150428022659/http://www.the-japan-news.com/news/article/0002110663 dead 28 April 2015 28 April 2015 The Japan News Yomiuri Shimbun 27 April 2015 See also 2019 Japanese unified local elections References 2015 Category:2015 elections in Japan Category:April 2015 in Japan