Votes will be counted on the 24th for the Tokyo Musashino mayoral election following the resignation of Mayor Reiko Matsushita. Voting will take place from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 23 locations across the city. Vote counting will take place at the Main Arena of the General Gymnasium from 9:00 p.m.
◆ Two independent newcomers who are running for office (in order of submission from top to bottom)
Former City Councilor Yasuhiro Omino (61) = Liberal Democratic Party, Komeito recommendation
Former city council member Yuko Sasaoka (37)= Supported by the Constitutional Democratic Party, Communist Party, Reiwa Shinsengumi, Social Democratic Party, and Musashino Consumer Network
◆“Everything is impermanent” My dog heals me
Yasuhiro Omino (61) Mushin
His great-grandfather, grandfather, and uncle served as local councilors, making him a member of a political family. Politics has been around him ever since he was a child, and his grandfather always told him to grow up and be useful to others.
After graduating from university’s architecture department, he joined a housing manufacturer. He worked hard, saying, “I want to build one nice home for someone in my life.” He was elected to the city council for the first time at the age of 32 because he wanted to improve the town where he was born and raised in politics. His motto is “Everything is impermanent.” His message is to “keep moving forward and not get too happy when something good happens.”
Although her days are busy, her biggest source of relaxation is playing with her father’s petit poodle, Emi-chan, who lives with her. “He jumps at me. He’s so cute,” he says, narrowing his eyes.
◆“Once in a lifetime” hobby is piano
Yuko Sasaoka (37) Mushin
“I want to inherit and develop a city administration that values citizen participation and diversity.” The city aims to inherit the liberal city government that has continued for 18 years from the past two mayors.
The reason I decided to pursue politics was the TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident. She was first elected to the city council in 2015, feeling that there was a lack of national measures to protect children, and said, “I want to start making changes in my own city.” After serving one term, she spent three years in Brazil, where her husband was posted.
“I realized the importance of tolerance and diversity” in a country where multicultural coexistence is progressing. In order to utilize her experience in politics, she will re-enter the city council this spring and aim to become mayor. She is also involved in double care, where she is responsible for raising children and caring for her parents, and aims to realize comprehensive regional support for all generations.
My favorite phrase is “once in a lifetime.” She lives with her husband and child who is in junior high school. Her hobby is piano.
◆Continuation of the “liberal style” or renewal?
Former Prime Minister Naoto Kan of the Ritsumeikan Democratic Party and former House of Representatives member Masatada Tsuchiya of the Liberal Democratic Party faced off in a showdown between the ruling and opposition parties in Tokyo’s 18th Ward of the House of Representatives, where a fierce battle known as the “Dokan War” had been fought for many years. (Nobukazu Hattori, Natsuko Konno, Katsunori Hanai)
Posters on the Musashino mayoral election poster bulletin board (in order of submission from right)
The mayoral election was held in November after former Prime Minister Suga announced that he would not run in the next House of Representatives election, and then-Mayor Reiko Matsushita resigned as Suga’s successor. Matsushita’s predecessor as mayor has continued to have a liberal city government, and the evaluation of that is a major focus. The response to the referendum ordinance allowing foreign participation, which has been discussed in the Matsushita city government, is also attracting attention.
In his speech on the 17th, Omino emphasized that he would “bring back conservative centrist politics.” In addition to LDP and public councilors, Mr. Tsuchiya also made an appearance. Mr. Tsuchiya became a Liberal Democratic Party member of the House of Representatives in 2005 after serving six terms as mayor, and fought a fierce battle with Mr. Suga until he lost the election in 2017. In the last House of Representatives election in 2021, he supported Akihisa Nagashima, a member of the House of Representatives who ran from Tokyo’s 18th ward after switching from Tokyo’s 21st ward (Tachikawa City, etc.), and continues to be at odds with Mr. Suga.
In response, Mr. Sasaoka has positioned himself as Mr. Matsushita’s successor candidate and has stated that he wants to “inherit and develop the city administration.” The city has taken on a liberal tone, following in the footsteps of Mr. Matsushita, who served as mayor after serving as a member of the former Democratic Party of Japan metropolitan assembly, and former Prime Minister Suga, who had a cooperative relationship with Matsushita’s city administration. Former Prime Minister Suga gave a speech of support on the same day, saying, “Musashino is a town where the power of the citizens is strong. (Matsushita City administration) has listened to that voice.” He called for opposition to the LDP and Kome forces during the Tsuchiya administration.
Former Mayor Reiko Matsushita holds a press conference on November 9th in Musashino City, Tokyo.
This Musashino mayoral election will be held following the resignation of then-Mayor Reiko Matsushita. He will run in Tokyo’s 18 wards (Musashino City, Koganei City, etc.) in the upcoming House of Representatives election as a candidate to succeed former Prime Minister Naoto Kan of the Constitutional Democratic Party.
Regarding the reason for his resignation, Matsushita explained, “While working on various issues as mayor, I experienced the barriers of the national system.I decided to take on the challenge of national politics in order to change that.” Regarding his resignation midway through his term, he said, “I am sorry to the citizens for not being able to complete my term,” and added, “I am suddenly resigning as mayor without knowing when there will be a snap general election.” “I thought that doing so could cause confusion in the city administration,” he said, asking for understanding.
Matsushita was first elected as mayor in 2017 after working as a company employee and a member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly. She is the city’s first female mayor and is currently in her second term. In her past two mayoral elections, she defeated Liberal Democratic Party candidates by double scores.
As mayor, he has achieved zero child waiting lists at licensed daycare centers and free medical fees for children up to the age of 18. Meanwhile, a referendum ordinance proposed to the City Council in 2021 aimed to grant foreign nationals living in the city for more than three months the same voting rights as Japanese citizens, but it was rejected by a majority. (Okamoto Futoshi)
2023-12-22 21:00:00
#SummaryWho #run #Musashino #mayoral #election #claim #background #December #24th #voting #Tokyo #Shimbun #TOKYO #Web
